Texas Longhorns gear up to take on No. 4 Alabama
AUSTIN, Texas - After going toe-to-toe with Alabama last year, losing by one on a late field goal in the closing seconds, the No. 11 ranked UT Football team is now gearing up for round two in Tuscaloosa.
Alabama game week is here! UT's opportunity to pull off the program's first top 5 road win in almost 20 years, against a perennial national power.
"Everybody should love a game like this. Last year was really fun. It was really fun. People should love these games," said Xavier Worthy, wide receiver.
But, making a national statement in Tuscaloosa is apparently not what's fueling Sark's Longhorns.
"The moment you start focusing on what the outcome could be, what the result could be, the game hits you in the mouth, and you lose, so we have to focus on what we need to do," said Steve Sarkisian, Longhorns head coach.
Near the top of that "to-do" list is to get more from the offensive line.
"There's a style in which we want to play the game up front. And we've got to become more physical and I think that comes when you remove som of the hesitation. We have to go cut it loose," said Sark.
We know Quinn Ewers is ready. In last year's showdown, he lit up the Tide with 134 passing yards in the first quarter before getting knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury.
That said, he refuses to make the rematch personal.
"I'm pretty excited about every game I play. I'm definitely excited...we're all pretty fired up," said Quinn Ewers, quarterback.
And while going toe-to-toe with Alabama last year instilled confidence, the Longhorns are headed to Tuscaloosa as a touchdown underdog.
"We know what kind of opponent they (are), what type of school it is, what type of coach they got. They're a high-caliber team, but so are we, so we're going to come in there with the right mindset, the right game-plan and go out there and try to dominate," said Ja'Tavion Sanders, tight end.
The Longhorns head to Tuscaloosa to take on No. 4 ranked Alabama on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 6 p.m.