Who Are the Announcers for Texas vs San Jose State Week 2 Football Game?

The opening game for the No. 7 Texas Longhorns couldn’t have been tougher than traveling to Columbus to play the reigning champions, and the score of 14–7 almost seems more forgiving than it actually is. The five-star pick, Arch Manning, appeared unstable right away, gaining just 26 yards in the first half before settling into a little flow in the second half. No one is freaking out after a single game, but that loss to Ohio State did hurt a lot for a team that had playoff-like expectations going into the game. Now, Texas has the opportunity to reset in Austin tomorrow against San Jose State, and the timing could not be better.

San Jose State, a passing-oriented offense that piled up 300 yards last week but also blew it up three times, is set to visit Darrell K. Royal, Texas, on September 6. The pressure is high, as Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff put more pressure on the Spartans’ team. They can expect to rely on Manning’s late-game flashes.

Texas Longhorns’ voices, Craig Way and Roger Wallace, will be announcers for the game. Craig has over 5,000 broadcasts and a resume full of high school state titles from his nearly three decades of calling Texas games. However, Roger has been a part of the Texas sports scene since the mid-1990s. In 2011, he shifted from the position of sideline reporter to that of color analyst. They’ve figured out how to strike the perfect balance between Craig’s clear play calls mixed with Roger’s analysis. As Craig puts it, it’s “a responsibility not to be taken lightly,” while Roger admits, “Yeah, there’s no secret who we want to win.”

The two are also quick to admit that there is a grind behind each broadcast. Craig dives into Sark’s weekly shows, daily notes, and even charts with his son’s help. Roger creates his own prep sheets, but he says the secret is to know when to use the stats without bombarding the audience with them. For him, it’s about recognizing the small figures and patterns that go beyond the scoreboard and reveal a game’s narrative. As Roger said, the loss just “closes the window for error,” but Craig reminded fans of an old truth: teams grow most from Week 1 to Week 2. And just as the voices in the booth prepare the players on the field are putting in their own grind.

Malik Muhammad and the Longhorns’ defense look to keep rolling

It should go without saying that Week 1 wasn’t about the defense for Texas fans. The Buckeyes were held to just 163 yards by the Longhorns, who completely dominated them aside from a 40-yard field goal from Carnell Tate of Ohio State. As College Football News put it, “Completely and totally lost in the fist-shaking after the loss was a brilliant performance by the Texas defense.” That’s why the game against San Jose State on Saturday is so exciting. Last season, the Spartans were one of the pass-heavy teams in the nation, and quarterback Walker Eget already piled up more than 300 yards in their first game.

Cornerback Malik Muhammad is one player who has stated that he is prepared for the challenge. He admitted, “Last year I was inconsistent, especially when it came to the postseason. I was inconsistent, and it kind of lingered a little bit into those playoff games. I just wanted to let it be known that, Coach, you can put your trust in me. I’m coming to play.” He broke up a third-down pass and helped hold star freshman Jeremiah Smith to just 43 yards on six catches against Ohio State.

All the focus now is on stacking performances. While describing San Jose State’s run-and-shoot strategy as “physical and nasty up front” and “very difficult to defend,” Sarkisian is not downplaying it. But the Darrell K Royal home opener can be a bounce-back. As Sark reminded this week, “I thought he had a great summer, and that carried right over into training camp, where he really focused on what he needed to do to play a consistent brand of football for (Malik). I felt like at the end of last year, there was a few lapses, some guys double-moved him, some different things. I thought that carried over into Week 1; he played a highly competitive football game.”