DALLAS — The Texas Longhorns are off to an outstanding start in their inaugural season in the Southeastern Conference, boasting a perfect record halfway through the season. Following another dominant defeat of their Red River rivals, who also transitioned to the SEC, the Longhorns have set their sights on acquiring the prestigious trophy they recently reclaimed.
“Winning the Golden Hat two years ago felt like a Super Bowl victory to us,” remarked fourth-year head coach Steve Sarkisian after Texas secured a 34-3 victory over an unranked Oklahoma team. “This year, reclaiming the Golden Hat is great, but we’re focused on putting it in the trophy case and continuing our momentum. That’s the mindset of our team.”
Currently standing undefeated at 6-0 for the first time since 2009—when they finished as national runners-up—No. 1 Texas is aiming for even greater accolades after making its first appearance in the College Football Playoff last year as the Big 12 champions.
The Longhorns have already achieved victory this season against defending national champion Michigan. They will return from the State Fair of Texas for their upcoming matchup with No. 5 Georgia (5-1, 3-1 SEC), the two-time defending champions before Michigan took the title.
“The road ahead is still challenging,” Sarkisian noted, highlighting that his teams have won 18 of their last 20 games since finishing with a 13-12 record during his initial seasons.
Texas solidified its position at the top of The Associated Press college football poll by receiving 56 out of 62 first-place votes on Sunday. This marks an increase of four first-place votes from the previous week and is the highest tally since they were the unanimous No. 1 in October 2008.
“Oklahoma’s head coach Brent Venables remarked on the impressive performance of the Longhorns, noting that he hasn’t seen many teams play as effectively across all aspects of the game this season. Venables, who has contributed to national championship teams as the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma and Clemson, acknowledged Texas’s strengths in key areas.
“They have a solid team with strengths where it counts: at quarterback, on the offensive line, and in their explosive playmakers. Their defense is formidable, and their players bring substantial experience,” he said, underscoring the Longhorns’ veteran status and skill level.
This marks the fourth week this season that Texas has held the top spot in the poll, the most for the Longhorns in a single season since 1977, when they maintained an undefeated record during the last six regular-season polls before facing Joe Montana-led Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl.
So far this season, Texas has allowed only 38 points, the fewest they’ve seen in six games since the 1964 season. In that year, they suffered just one loss, that being to national champion Alabama in the Orange Bowl. Notably, two of the three touchdowns scored against the Longhorns have come in the dying moments of already decided contests.
Quarterback Quinn Ewers returned from an abdominal strain, after standout redshirt freshman Arch Manning led the team to victories in both of his starts. Although the Longhorns struggled initially, managing only 13 yards on 10 plays without a first down in the first quarter against Oklahoma, they finished the game with a total of 406 yards. Ewers completed 199 passing yards, including a pivotal touchdown and contributed with a 1-yard rushing score.
Texas has achieved a remarkable point differential of plus-221, the highest recorded through six games since 1915. Remarkably, they have only trailed once this season, a brief period of less than four minutes following Oklahoma’s field goal for a 3-0 lead.
Sarkisian expressed pride in his defense, noting that it has developed a “swagger” and confidence, despite leading the nation with a remarkable average of just 6.3 points and 229.7 total yards allowed per game.
“Our best football is still ahead of us,” stated junior cornerback Michael Taaffe after the historic 120th Red River game. “While people outside our locker room may call this a complete defense, those of us in here understand that our offense challenges us during practice every week, which builds our confidence and readiness.”