Houston Texans Coach Lovie Smith on Going to Longhorns Game: 'Had a Blast'

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Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith was spotted in Austin on Saturday, sporting burnt orange while taking in the sights and sounds of the Texas Longhorns beating the Iowa State Cyclones at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Smith, a native of Gladewater, Texas, got to watch the 24-21 win while being an honorary guest on the Longhorns sideline.
"I'm a product of Texas high school football," Smith said Monday. "Whenever the flagship university invites you and your wife to come down, you kinda love it. Gracious hosts and saw good football so we had a blast this weekend."
Texans coach Lovie Smith sporting some burnt orange on the sidelines at DKR today. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/RobcYZCdlW
— Adam Rossow (@AdamJRossow) October 15, 2022
Smith got a chance to watch some elite offensive talent on both teams. Texas running back Bijan Robinson, who is likely to be the first ball carrier off the board in the 2023 draft, totaled 28 carries for 135 yards while adding four catches for 36 yards.
Iowa State receiver Xavier Hutchinson was a dominant downfield threat, posting a game-high 10 catches for 154 yards. Texas speedster Xavier Worthy had eight grabs for 72 yards and two touchdowns, with the second being the go-ahead score with less than five minutes to play.
Along with the playmaking, Smith said he got to see the reach that the Texans have in Austin.
"Seeing how many people love our Houston Texans down there," Smith said. "College people have to have an NFL team that they support, so a lot of great support, really excited about what we're doing."
The Texans are a rebuilding team. Despite a 1-3-1 record, Houston has been in striking distance in all five contests, which offers hope that Smith has the franchise headed in the right direction.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7
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