Longhorns' Steve Sarkisian Admits He Needs to 'Keep Digging' Despite Win vs. Kansas State

Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian isn't blind to a notion that has seemed to haunt his team since his arrival last season. Blowing big leads after strong starts has seemed to go hand in hand with Texas football recently.

And while his team has shown a different level of competitiveness than the kind that resulted in a 5-7 record last season, the Horns have still blown two double-digit leads in losses to the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Oklahoma State Cowboys.

No. 24 Texas nearly did it again in Saturday's 34-27 win over the No. 13 Kansas State Wildcats, scoring just three points in the second half. But Sarkisian would certainly rather talk about what his group needs to improve on after a big-time conference win.

“It’s not like we just have our head in the sand and we’re not aware that we’ve got work to do," Sarkisian said. "First of all, we need to play better than we played in the second half tonight for whatever reason. I’ve got to keep digging."

Sarkisian orchestrated some elite offensive possessions in the first half as Texas jumped out to a 31-10 lead. An extra week of preparation during the bye week following the 41-34 loss to the Cowboys certainly paid off in the Horns' favor.

But there may not be a more appropriate way to describe it. "Keep digging" essentially means Sark aims to keep the team's foot on the throat of its opponents, something that Texas failed to do against OSU and Texas Tech.

This approach could prove vital if Texas wants a shot at an upset win over the No. 7 TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday. A victory would significantly boost the Longhorns' chances at a potential appearance in the Big 12 title game, an achievement that would help many forget some of the late-game shortcomings that have plagued Texas this year.

TCU and Texas kickoff from Austin at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday.

You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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