Steve Sarkisian Comments On One of the Texas Longhorns' Most Perplexing Issues

The Texas Longhorns claimed a victory in Lexington, Kentucky, against the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday, but errors and shortcomings reared their ugly heads throughout the matchup.

The Wildcats entered the matchup as the SEC’s lowest-ranked team, so some might see a 16-13 overtime win for the Longhorns as an escape rather than a win.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian made a comment after the game about one of the most unexpected issues for his team in the Bluegrass State.

Sarkisian on recovering fumbles

Oct 18, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Cutter Boley (8) is tackled by Texas Longhorns linebacker Trey Moore (8) at the one yard line during the second quarter at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Texas forced Kentucky to fumble on offense twice during the game, but they found themselves unable to recover either. Sarkisian expressed his dissatisfaction with the two misses.

“I thought we missed opportunities,” he said. “There were two fumbles on the ground that I’m still trying to figure out how we didn’t recover.”

The first fumble occurred when Wildcats running back Seth McGowan couldn’t hold onto the ball, but offensive lineman Shiyazh Pete was the one to secure the recovery. The rest of Kentucky’s drive culminated in a field goal.

The second fumble was caused by edge rusher Colin Simmons, who sacked Kentucky quarterback Cutter Boley in the fourth quarter when the game was all tied up. However, offensive lineman Joshua Braun came up with it and allowed the ball to stay in his team’s hands.

Each fumble took place in the second half of play, both during moments where a turnover could’ve helped the Longhorns seal the deal and secure victory on the road.

Had either of them panned out, Texas might not have had to rely on an overtime field goal by kicker Mason Shipley. It wasn’t the end of the world against Kentucky, but failure to capitalize during moments like the two fumbles against tougher opponents could cost them the game altogether.

Their next matchup will take place against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on the road. Road games have proved quite challenging for the Longhorns so far this season, as Saturday’s game marked their first true road win of the season.

Despite accumulating a conference record of 0-3 so far, the Bulldogs have gotten within striking distance against tricky opponents this year. Against both Florida and Tennessee, one more score for Mississippi State could’ve caused different outcomes.

This conference claims new heroes and victims on a weekly basis, so it will be interesting to see where Texas stands after their next few SEC matchups.