The End Of The Sark ERA!!??/ Texas Longhorns LIVE 124

**Texas Longhorns LIVE 124 — “The End Of The Sark ERA!!??”** Hosts: Matthew Miller & Thomas Bresee (TexasVOCFB) Sponsor: FanDuel Focus: Post-Florida loss reaction, Sarkisian/Arch Manning disconnect, QB change talk, and Ole Miss preview. ### Intro & Betting Line (00:00–01:25) - Welcome to the 124th edition, live on the Texas channel. - Vandal has Texas favored by roughly the home field + half-point (effectively neutral-field slight favorite). Hosts call the line bizarre given Texas’s talent vs. current play. - Notes Ole Miss previously had a similar line vs. Florida and lost big. No dominant team nationally right now; Vegas has been sharp this season. - FanDuel promo reminder. ### Florida Loss Reaction & Sark/Arch Disconnect (01:25–10:00) - Florida loss remains a major issue. Hosts see a growing disconnect between Arch Manning and Steve Sarkisian that must improve this week or the relationship is in serious trouble. - Texas led 17-3 early, got the long-awaited special teams TD, then collapsed in the second half. Defense allowed too much on early downs and easy third downs; eyes were poor late. - Primary blame is on the offense and Sark/Arch. Arch missed wide-open throws he has made before (including under pressure). Hesitancy and lack of confidence have appeared this year (absent late last season). - Sark is pushing Arch toward a more pure pocket-passer style that does not currently suit him; the screen game was underutilized on some opportunities. - Broader Sark-era problems: consistent offensive line issues (physicality and scheme fit), players not being put in positions to succeed (examples: Cam Coleman, Emmett Mosley), and inability to run the ball effectively in the SEC outside of elite individual talent like Bijan/Roschon. - Record projection: hosts lean 8-4 or 7-5/6-6 territory. A 9-3 Texas could still make the CFP this year. - Staff changes expected (possible departures involving Kyle Flood, Jeff Banks, A.J. Millwee, Torrey Becton conversation). Sark is unlikely to be fired immediately even at 8-4; major offensive changes (staff and/or play-calling) are more realistic. Firing becomes realistic at 6-6/7-5. **Clip-worthy moments**: Sark tenure “might die this week” framing (≈02:06–02:16); Arch missing wide-open throws + confidence collapse (≈03:25–04:00); OL physicality and “talent recognition without plan” critique (≈07:00–09:00). ### Season Path, Staff Changes & Fan Expectations (10:00–15:00) - Hosts want the team to win out and look better offensively while still expecting offensive staff rebuilds. - Sark has earned some benefit of the doubt for lifting the program, but rich donors will demand results. Many fans would only be happy with elite hires (e.g., Curt Cignetti or Kirby Smart). - Reality check: Texas is 4-2 and not a total disaster; it could easily be 2-4 with a fired coach. Two things needed: confident Arch and winning the turnover/field-position battle. - Sark is expected to remain the 2027 coach in some form; full uprooting is less likely than significant changes. ### Listener Comments & Additional Context (15:00–18:00) - Max Brown breakdown mention (not fully viewed). Preference for longer film breakdowns. - Arch’s Ohio State game more on Sark; run game and OL still limit any QB. - Tennessee win discussion: not viewed as a pure upset by Vegas standards (Texas would still be favored); Neyland is always tough. Texas has two inexcusable losses and two of the best wins in the country. - Path to 9-3/10-2 exists if they figure it out soon. ### QB Change Discussion — KJ Lacey (20:25–25:00+) - Reports (Pete Thamel) of increased first-team reps for KJ Lacey; Sark said similar number of first-team reps; Anwar Richardson/Orangebloods indicated roughly the same or slightly more. Manning family source said they understand this is Texas, not “University of Manning,” and are fine with a benching if warranted. - Hosts are skeptical a change fundamentally fixes the offense. Backup bump is real but temporary once film exists (common in college and NFL). - Lacey would likely reduce some negative plays/indecision but offers less athleticism and no clear run-game solution. OL issues (eyes, physicality, technique) persist regardless of QB. - Hosts believe Sark would not ride Arch solely because of the last name if he truly thought a change helped his job security. Arch works hard; development/scheme fit is the larger issue. **Clip-worthy**: Manning family reaction to potential benching (≈21:00); “honeymoon period” for a new QB ends once film exists (≈21:45–22:45). ### Ole Miss Preview (≈36:00–49:00) - Ole Miss only loss is to Florida; strong recent defensive showing vs. Missouri. Trinidad Chambliss, Kewan Lacy, and Deuce Alexander form an elite trio. - Keys for Texas: - Contain Chambliss in the pocket (don’t let him create outside). - Hold Ole Miss under ~27 points (Texas offense has been stuck around the mid-20s). - Force turnovers (defense has been weak at this; Colin Simmons out hurts pass rush). - Get a good start (close first quarter is critical; avoid early 14-0 hole that turns the crowd). - Simplify the offense: lean into duo/outside zone, screens, Ryan Wingo (and Jermaine Bishop), short passing game, and RBs in the passing game. Stop overcomplicating. - Play complementary football and win field position. - Ole Miss front seven is loaded with NFL talent (Will Echols, Cam Franklin, Suntarine Perkins, etc.). This is a nightmare matchup and a potential fork-in-the-road game for the Sark/Arch era. - Hosts both pick Ole Miss: one 31-21, the other 30-24. A win could restart playoff talk; a loss accelerates tough conversations in Austin. - Need to put everything on the table (QB run game, RB receiving, etc.). No more long-term conservation. **Clip-worthy**: “If Ole Miss gets to 27, they win” (≈37:00); Ryan Wingo target/scoring correlation (≈38:50); “fork in the road” for Sark/Arch (≈37:25); both score predictions (≈48:00–49:00). ### Additional Comments, Recruiting & Close (49:00–55:15) - Wheel route / RB receiving game underused. - Hollywood Smothers possible minor shoulder issue; more rotation expected (Derek Cooper, Jermaine Bishop, possibly OL). - Defense exhaustion vs. Florida tied to time of possession and short game; complementary football required. - Recruiting impact: limited as long as Sark stays and resources remain; a couple more losses would change the calculus. Mentions of Brian Swanson and Ishmael Kamara as key targets. - Close: like/subscribe, Bet’s Bet show Thursday 6:30 p.m. ET, postgame show late Saturday night. ### Overall Tone & Takeaways The episode treats this weekend as potentially decisive for the Sark era and the Arch relationship. Hosts are critical of scheme fit, OL/run game, and player usage but stop short of calling for an immediate firing. They see a narrow path to the CFP if Texas wins this week and cleans up turnovers/field position, while emphasizing that the offense must simplify and play to Arch’s strengths. Both hosts lean Ole Miss in a close but not particularly pretty game. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.