“These weeks are not easy”

At first glance, the Texas Longhorns' 27-24 victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday might not seem particularly impressive, and it certainly wasn't pretty. However, the context can change significantly.

First, this Vanderbilt team is nothing like those of the past. The Commodores are now 5-3 (2-2 in SEC play) and are more than capable of upsetting top teams. Alabama learned that the hard way when it left Nashville as the No. 1 team in the country with a 40-35 loss on Oct. 5.

Second, the Longhorns played arguably their biggest game of the regular season last week against Georgia. They lost this game at home 30-15, and considering how much preparation they put into this game, the Vanderbilt matchup could have easily been a trap game.

Third, and admittedly this is the Longhorns' fault, but they overcame some big hurdles in the game itself. Two dropped interceptions and ten penalties were just the most notable mistakes they would like to clean up.

All in all, the Longhorns overcame this adversity and managed to earn an SEC road win. Through this lens, the win becomes much more impressive.

“These weeks are not easy,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said after the game. “When you invest yourself emotionally in a game like we did last week and then you don’t give your best, it’s tough. It's hard for coaches, it's hard for a team to recover and I think how many times we've seen a team lose a game like that and then get beaten again the next week because they always still have to go through.

“And I thought this game tonight was a culture, tough win for us. I'm really proud of our players and their preparation. I was proud of how they handled the adversity tonight. We knew it would take 60 minutes against that type of team. And you know, it's always good to get up to get an away win.

Now the Longhorns begin a bye week with a chance to rest. They then play three games against unranked opponents before facing Texas A&M in the second leg of the Lone Star Showdown. They know they will face more adversity along the way and are ready for the challenges ahead.

“I know the next four games will all be very challenging and they are all good football teams that we have to compete against individually,” Sarkisian said. “But the beauty of it is that I think we know how to do that and that we understand that the metal intensity and focus that's needed week in and week out, I think that we know how to do that, and because that’s what it’s all about.”

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