If there’s one flaw that has fans miffed at Austin, it’s Steve Sarkisian’s play-calling. Whether it was the aggressive red-zone approach against UTEP that failed to make the best possible play, or the trick play ensemble against Kentucky, questions have surfaced again ahead of the ranked Georgia matchup. But the head coach has got a fitting response to the critics clamoring for him to abandon play-calling.

After the season-opening loss against Ohio State, with star quarterback Arch Manning on the helm, Steve Sarkisian’s program struggled to get going. The lack of a robust offensive line and the challenges faced by the wide receivers corps sparked a lengthy tirade aimed directly at the head coach. With the loss against Florida and a 3-2 record, Texas’s SEC title hopes appeared unlikely. But since then, Manning’s offense has engineered four back-to-back wins. The biggest of them during the Red River Rivalry, combined with a late comeback against Vanderbilt, has revived playoff aspirations.

Talking about what brought about the change, Sarkisian had one response. Improved continuity…and playcalling. With a recovered locker room, getting more practice snaps together, the improved chemistry has significantly led to a turnabout in Texas’s trajectory. “You know, where we were a little nicked up earlier in the season, with Wingo (Ryan) being nicked up, with DeAndre Moore (upper-body injury) being nicked up, missing the game,” Steve Sarkisian said on the Big Noon kickoff.

“We didn’t have Emmett Mosley for all of training camp, but for the first four games of the regular season. So I just think the rapport with arcs, the rapport with those guys, has continually gotten better and better.” While showering his roster with compliments, Coach Sark did not shy away from sprinkling a subtle dig at the skeptics, who questioned his play-calling.

So when Urban Meyer asked him about his improved roster, he patted himself on the back. “I think the coach, whoever’s calling the plays, is probably calling a few more things advantageous for those guys to go make plays.”

Just weeks ago, he had been blunt and unapologetic in his answer that he won’t be letting go of his play-calling duties, because that’s why I (he) got hired,” saying he was a good offensive coordinator. During his stint as an OC in Alabama, he won the Broyles Award for leading Bama to an average of 47.2 points per game and helping develop talents such as Tua Tagovailoa, DeVonta Smith, and others.

Well, it’s not the first time the coach has come under scrutiny. You don’t have to go much farther than last year to get a glimpse of the scathing rebuke he faced after the Longhorns faced a loss against Ohio State.

His playcalling on the goal line during the fourth down had both the fans and analysts racking their brains over the question, ‘Why?’ However, with wins over ranked Vanderbilt and Oklahoma, Steve Sarkisian is back to his winning ways, but…

The Dawgs might pose a greater threat to Texas at Stanford Stadium.

Can Steve Sarkisian’s Texas beat Georgia?

Just taking a look at the 2024 slate, Georgia beat Texas twice. Obviously, this has become a revenge game for the Longhorns to punch it right back at Stanford Stadium. Presently, the sportsbooks show the Dawgs dominating the odds with a 5 1/2-point lead. However, there is optimism baked into that number, as over the week, Texas has come closer to a 1/2-point favorite from 6 1/2-point.

Urban Meyer, who checked in with Coach Stark regarding his WR room repo with the QB, is optimistic about Texas. “To me, this is a flat game. The way Texas is playing right now…I think Texas will have a chance to win it, but I don’t think Georgia will win by 6.5,” he said on the Triple Option.

Coming off a bye week, the Longhorns are well rested. Along with an improved wide receiver corps, Arch’s footwork and accuracy have improved. As ESPN’s Jordan Rodgers calls it, “He’s so much more consistent with what we call ‘his base,’ he said, according to On3. “He’s able to rotate through those throws.”

Can Manning’s offense reboot through all the noise and stage a victory on the road? What do you think? Let us know in the comments.