Steve Sarkisian Has an 'I Told You So' Message About Florida, Mississippi State

Steve Sarkisian won’t apologize for the Texas Longhorns’ 20-17 road win in their SEC opener. Although his team didn’t play to the level he believes it can, especially on offense, Sarkisian knows better than most how tough it is to win on the road.

He learned it the hard way last season, as the Longhorns fell in their SEC road opener to the Florida Gators. Texas entered that year as the preseason No. 1 team, and a top pick to contend for the national championship. Even though they lost to Ohio State in Week 1, the expectations in Austin were still high heading into that Week 6 matchup with the Gators.

The Longhorns fell 29-21 to a Florida team that finished 4-8, yet as he discussed the loss, the Gators boasted a better roster than the record suggested. That is only being backed up now as the Gators, under new head coach Jon Sumrall, have opened the season 4-0 with notable wins over Auburn and Ole Miss.

“I tried to tell you guys about Florida last year. No one wanted to believe me,” Sarkisian said. “They’ve got real players in Gainesville, and they’re a good football team. They’ve kind of figured it out. We’ll worry about that when that one comes.”

I Told You So

Steve Sarkisian Florida — Oct 4, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian shakes hands with Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Gators fired then-head coach Billy Napier just two games after they upset Texas in the swamp. And despite Florida finishing the season with a losing record, Sarkisian was on record about how underrated the Gators were last season.

"I mean, take the other -- how many teams are there in college football? One hundred and thirty-six,” Sarkisian said following the loss last season. “Take the other 135 and have them go play at Ohio State and at The Swamp. See how they do."

The two programs will meet again, this time in Austin, on October 17th, just the week after the Longhorns play Oklahoma in Dallas.

Yet, Florida isn’t alone in being a rematch from last season; that has the potential to be a tougher challenge. Mississippi State could be another, as the Bulldogs are ranked No. 16 nationally with a 4-0 start to the season.

They famously took the Longhorns to the limit a season ago in Starkville, where Texas escaped with a thrilling 45-38 come from behind win in overtime.

“With Mississippi State, I knew about Kamario Taylor a year ago. They just didn’t play him a lot,” Sarkisian said. “They put him in our game, and he threw a touchdown pass. They’ve got real players. This league is no joke. It’s a real league.”

The Longhorns and Bulldogs will meet in Austin on October 31st, and as things stand, it will be the third of five straight games versus a ranked opponent for Texas.

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