Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian remained stoic after his team pulled off a jaw-dropping overtime win at Mississippi State.

“Well, that was the one thing I asked for yesterday in the team meeting. I said, guys, this is gonna take 60 minutes, we gotta be the tougher football team, mentally, physically, and it’s gotta be all Texas fight tonight, and that’s what it was,” he told reporters.

The Longhorns erased a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit and survived, 45-38, when backup Matthew Caldwell threw an overtime touchdown to Emmett Mosley after starter Arch Manning exited with an injury. Texas capped the comeback with a huge defensive stand, sacking Mississippi State’s Blake Shapen for a loss on fourth-and-20 to end the game.

Arch Manning finished with a career-high 346 passing yards and three touchdowns before departing, and the Longhorns rode momentum from a 79-yard punt return and timely stops to fuel the rally. Ryan Niblett’s 79-yard return flipped the field and energized the comeback.

The win moves Texas to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in SEC play, while Mississippi State fell to 4-4.

Sarkisian made a clear point; he wanted toughness, and his team delivered. He said he preached a full-game mindset in meetings and watched it play out on the field, where the defense and special teams repeatedly bailed out an inconsistent offense.

The head coach owned his role and responsibility for offensive struggles while praising the players who gutted out the comeback.

This win keeps Texas in the College Football Playoff (CFP) conversation and shows Sarkisian’s team can grind through chaos, but it also underscores lingering problems in offensive rhythm and third-down efficiency that he must fix.

For now, Longhorn fans can savor a wild Starkville night, and Sarkisian’s simple charge: Texas fight.
https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/texas-football-news-steve-sarkisians-reaction-mississippi-state