The One Trait Every Great Steve Sarkisian Team Has Shared

The Texas Longhorns head into the 2026 season looking to make up for missing the College Football Playoff for the first time in three seasons after making it to the College Football Playoff in back-to-back seasons.

And the Longhorns roll into the season with lofty expectations and projections from much of the college football world, loaded with one of the top rosters in the country, facing one of the toughest schedules in the season.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian heads into his sixth season in Austin with plenty of success already under his belt. And many of the successful teams that Sarkisian has built have shared one key thing in common, which will also be crucial to the 2026 season.

A High-Powered Running Game Unlocks Steve Sarkisian's Teams

Texas Longhorns running back Quintrevion Wisner (5) runs past Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Eddrick Houston (96) during the second half. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Many things have to go well for a team to have good seasons year in and year out, and for Sarkisian, a lot of his success obviously comes on the offensive side of the ball as an offensive-minded coach. And a big factor in a Sarkisian offense that has been an important constant over the years is a dynamic running game.

The Longhorns did not have a successful rushing attack during the 2025 season, and while missing the postseason can't be blamed completely on a struggling running game alone, it surely played a huge role.

Sarkisian had his worst running game since he took over the program, with 2025 being the only season he did not have a 1,000-yard rusher or at least two running backs reach over 500 yards. The Longhorns totaled 1,791 yards, averaged 4.2 yards per carry, 137.8 yards per game, and 17 touchdowns, all of which are lows in the Sarkisian era.

During the 2024 season, when the Longhorns reached the College Football Playoff semifinal and went 13-3, the Texas rushing attack was dynamic. The Longhorns had a 1,000-yard rusher and two running backs over 500 yards rushing.

That rushing attack was the second best that Sarkisian has had while at Texas, which amassed 2,540 yards, averaged 4.3 yards per carry, 158.8 yards per game, and 26 touchdowns.

And in 2023, the season where Texas went 12-2, won a conference championship, and reached the final four-team College Football Playoff, the Longhorns' running game was the best that Sarkisian has had in his time in Austin.

Sarkisian had a 1,000-yard rusher and two running backs with a minimum of 500 yards rushing. The Longhorns totaled 2,638 yards, averaging five yards per carry,188.4 yards per game, and 29 touchdowns that season.

And in Sarkisian's first two seasons in Austin, where the Longhorns didn't have plenty of success, going 5-7 and then 8-5, the running game still reached over 2,000 rushing yards and over 20 touchdowns in both seasons.

It's not a coincidence that in the two most successful seasons the Longhorns have had under Sarkisian, the offense featured a top running game. A dependable running game always helps unlock a passing attack, and that has rang true for Sarkisian teams in the past; Texas will hope to have one in the 2026 season with a reshaped running back room.

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