College Football

Texas knows Alabama game presents huge opportunity: 'We'll be ready'

Published Sep. 7, 2023 2:29 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

Laken Litman

College Football & Soccer Analyst

AUSTIN, Texas — It seems inconceivable to believe — no matter what anyone says — that No. 11 Texas is viewing Saturday's rematch clash with No. 3 Alabama in Tuscaloosa as just another game.

But that's the message in Austin this week. Don't think about your opponent, even though it is Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide who narrowly won this matchup last year, 20-19, and just focus on yourself. 

Tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders called it the Longhorns' "John Wick" mentality. "Just be cool throughout the whole game," he said.

"The key to the drill is focusing on what we need to do, and we can't get caught up in thinking we're going to play all 17 teams that Coach Saban has had in the last 17 years," added Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, a former Saban assistant. "We're playing the 2023 Alabama football team, which is very good, and they're very well coached, and it's going to be a great environment for college football."

That's all well and good, but Texas is legitimately heading into an environment it's never experienced before at Bryant-Denny Stadium (7 p.m. ET) — though it's a good taste of what's to come as a future SEC member. Alabama has one of the most intimidating home-field advantages in the sport and is currently riding a 21-game winning streak there, the longest active streak in college football.

The Longhorns haven't been great in true road games against non-conference opponents over the past 10 years, losing to Arkansas (2021), Maryland (2018), USC (2017), Cal (2016), Notre Dame (2015) and BYU (2013).

"If we don't come out there with the right mindset, we're going to get whupped," Sanders said. "We have to come into this game with a clear mind. The past is in the past. We're a whole new team, a whole new season, and they're a new team. We just have to come out there and execute the game plan.

"... This is what we're made for, these big-time games."

Week 2 preview: Coach Prime's home debut, Texas vs. Alabama, more!

That starts with containing Alabama's first-year starting quarterback Jalen Milroe, who backed up 2021 Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young last year. Milroe has been compared to former Tide and current Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts for his athleticism.

"He's got a dynamic arm and can make every throw in the book — off-platform, on the run, doesn't matter," said Sarkisian, who recruited Milroe while he was still at Alabama. "He's a tremendous runner, an elite runner with the ball in his hands."

Just last week in a 56-7 win over Middle Tennessee, Milroe picked up a botched snap and turned it into a 21-yard touchdown.

"And the thing that concerns me the most about that is third downs where they can run the ball," Sarkisian continued, noting that the Tide have speed on the perimeter, will utilize their tight ends, and also have a physical offensive line. "So you put all that together and ultimately the threat of the quarterback run. They've got a multitude of quarterback runs where there's zone reads, power reads, quarterback direct runs, quarterback scrambles on third downs. That's probably the biggest thing that's the toughest to prepare for that we're going to have to spend extra time on.

"How do we control and contain the quarterback with his legs? The rest of the offense is the offense you see. And it's good. It's very well-designed and they've got really good pieces. But they're going to run their quarterback."

Will Jalen Milroe prove himself as Alabama's starting QB?

Milroe is still young — he's started only two games (last year vs. Texas A&M) compared to Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, who has started in 11. But the Longhorns' defense has to be disruptive, make him uncomfortable, and force him to pass the ball, because if he escapes the pocket, there will be trouble.

"It's gonna be a dogfight," linebacker Jaylan Ford said. "If we make mistakes, we know they will execute on our mistakes."

Sarkisian said this week that they have rectified errors made in the Week 1 win over Rice, which included errant passes, not protecting Ewers well enough, and poor route-running. When talking about his offensive line, Sarkisian said Monday that he "didn't love our physicality" and that he thought that unit was too "slow" and hesitant.

That won't fly against an unforgiving Tide defense, which features top future draft prospects like cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry and linebacker Dallas Turner. The Longhorns might be able to find an edge against Bama's secondary, though. The group was seen as a strength of this year's team, but it could be without starting safeties Malachi Moore and Jaylen Key, both of whom left the opener with undisclosed injuries.

Regardless, it doesn't get much bigger than a matchup like this early in the season. For the Longhorns especially, it's a chance to make a statement that they have made significant improvements heading into Sarkisian's third season and are ready to contend in the SEC.

"This is something little kids dream of," Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron said. "To be a top program and play against a top program. We'll be ready.

"… [This is an opportunity] to show what Texas is and what Texas is about. We worked so hard this summer, so we just want to showcase that. Everybody has things to say about us, be them positive or negative, but at the end of the day, we're just focusing on ourselves, and we want to go out there and win." 

Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her on Twitter @LakenLitman.

share

Get more from College Football Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

College Football

Big 12

Texas Longhorns

Alabama Crimson Tide

CFB - Texas Longhorns vs. Alabama Crimson Tide - 09/09/2023

Quinn Ewers

Jalen Milroe

Ja'Tavion Sanders

Jaylan Ford

Jahdae Barron

Kool-Aid McKinstry

Laken Litman