Steve Sarkisian Reveals the Secret Behind Texas' November Dominance

Steve Sarkisian doesn’t always know what buttons to push in September.

Sometimes, it’ll take him till November to figure it out.

But whatever he's been doing the last few seasons seems to be working out pretty well for the Texas Longhorns.

The Longhorns Can’t Stop Winning in November

Nov 7, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning looks to pass during the first half against the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. William Purnell-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Since 2023, the Longhorns have compiled a remarkable 12-1 record in the month of November, outscoring their opponents by a combined 152 points during that stretch.

And according to Sarkisian, the secret to that success isn’t necessarily having everything figured out when the season begins. Rather, it’s recognizing what needs to change along the way.

“One, I really believe in improving as the season goes on,” Sarkisian said. “We don’t just stay the same when the season starts. I have a firm belief we can improve individual players in our program, whether they’re frontline starters or true freshmen who are developing.”

And if his young career is any indication, there may not be a more fitting candidate for Texas' Mr. November than Arch Manning himself.

Across the last two seasons, Manning's production has climbed as the leaves start to turn and the more-than-welcome cold breeze arrives at DKR. His passing yards per game increase by nearly 28%, and he becomes considerably more protective of the football.

	September 2025-26	November 2025-26
Games Played	7	5
Completion %	63.4%	64.7%
Passing yards/Game	225.71	288.8
Passing TDs/Game	2.14	2.40
Interceptions/Game	0.71	0.20
TD/INT Ratio	3:1	12:1

But individual development is only part of the puzzle.

The responsibility of November improvement doesn’t just fall entirely onto the players. It requires the coaching staff to recognize what’s working, what’s not and, perhaps most importantly, when it’s time to move on.

“(Two), we can improve our schemes and evolve from a schematic standpoint,” Sarkisian said. “Three, I believe that we can start to identify the things that we do well, and then we can build off of those things that we're doing well. And at times, then we may have to scrap other things that maybe aren't going so well.”

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The Longhorns’ offensive line has become somewhat of a case study in Sarkisian’s approach.

With Trevor Goosby sidelined, Sarkisian has been forced to find answers on the fly, reshuffling a unit that already struggled prior to Goosby’s injury.

Melvin Siani has taken over at left tackle, Andre Cojoe has shifted to right tackle and Brandon Baker has moved inside to right guard — an example of adapting. Meanwhile, Dylan Sikorski has continued to grow more comfortable in the system — a testament to individual development.

And while Mississippi State wasn't exactly a promising test run for Texas' reshuffled line, with the Longhorns surrendering five sacks and rushing for just 60 yards, the unit showed signs of improvement against Missouri, allowing three sacks while rushing for 104 yards.

“All those things (are) adding up to this team steadily improving,” Sarkisian said.

The Final Piece of the Puzzle

Oct 24, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian celebrates with fans and players after the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The last ingredient to Texas’ late-season success has less to do with the X’s and O’s than understanding the personalities of the players executing them.

"The fourth thing that to me is pretty important is getting a pulse for the team, the mindset of the team, the culture of this team," Sarkisian said.

That understanding dictates everything from how Sarkisian addresses the team on Monday mornings to his final message before kickoff.

"The messaging then should be tailored to what I think the identity, the mindset, the culture of the team (are)," Sarkisian said. " Sometimes you don't know that in September. Sometimes it takes two months to really figure that out, to know what buttons to really push to make sure that these guys are dialed in."

Now, with another difficult November test awaiting Texas against LSU, the Longhorns will have another opportunity to demonstrate just how far they’ve come.

And if the last four seasons have proven anything, it’s that Sarkisian doesn’t need to have all the answers in September.

He just has a knack for finding them by November.

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