Texas answers Sarkisian’s challenge as RBs explode in CFP win
AUSTIN, Texas — Coach Steve Sarkisian said he had a simple message for his offensive line and running backs after Texas’ SEC title game loss to Georgia, the Longhorns’ second loss to the Bulldogs this season. “Run to win.” Texas ran for just 60 yards in the two games against Georgia — 29 in a 30-15 defeat in Austin in October and 31 in a 22-19 overtime loss two weeks ago. On Saturday, in the first round of the expanded College Football Playoff, the Longhorns ran for a season-high 292 yards in a 38-24 win over Clemson. Now, they will run all the way back to Atlanta, the site of that second Georgia loss, with a quarterfinal trip to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl to face Arizona State on Jan. 1. “We needed to run the football to win this game,” Sarkisian said. “We’re going to need to run the football to advance in these playoffs. That’s what playoff football’s about.”
