AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas has a chance to avenge its only loss of the season in a rematch with Georgia in Saturday's SEC championship game, but they'll have to travel to hostile territory to do it.
On Monday, coach Steve Sarkisian said he thought the Longhorns didn't perform well in October's 30-15 loss to Georgia at home, and will have to play much better in Atlanta.
"It's a very good football team on the road -- essentially a road game for us going to Atlanta to play Georgia -- so we've got to pack the things necessary to put ourselves in position to have some success Saturday," Sarkisian said.
In Austin on Oct. 20, Georgia held Texas to 29 rushing yards and forced four turnovers (three fumbles and an interception). The Longhorns had eight penalties, including four false starts. The 15-point loss was the most lopsided for a No. 1 team at home since Notre Dame's 31-16 win at Pittsburgh in 1982, according to Sportradar.
"We were out of character, out of sorts," Sarkisian said. "They came in here ready to play and beat us that night. Hopefully we can perform better on Saturday. ... Ultimately, they deserve to get our best shot. I know we're gonna get their best shot. The fans and the people watching this game that are all going to tune in deserve to get the best version of Texas football."
Sarkisian said quarterback Quinn Ewers practiced on Monday despite his sore ankle, which has hampered him since injuring it against Kentucky on Nov. 23. Last week, he rehabbed all week, and started against Texas A&M, but Texas used Arch Manning in running situations. Sarkisian said Ewers' week would be "very similar" to last week. Asked if we might see Arch Manning also against Georgia, he smiled and said, "We might."
All-American left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. injured his ankle early in the Longhorns' game against the Aggies and returned to the field in street clothes wearing a walking boot. Sarkisian said on Monday that he would also be day to day.
Against the Aggies, Ewers was 17-of-28 for 218 yards with one touchdown, one lost fumble and an interception. Manning ran for a 15-yard touchdown in the first quarter and did not attempt a pass, finishing with three carries for 14 yards.
"Kelvin really is in a situation that is kind of similar to Quinn," Sarkisian said. "It's going to kind of be a process throughout the week to see what he can look like as we get closer to game day. But it was a good start to the week for him."
Banks is an important piece of an offensive line that struggled against Georgia last time around. Ewers struggled early on against the Bulldogs' pass rush, starting 6-of-12 for 17 yards and an interception, and was benched for Manning because Sarkisian said Ewers' "eyes weren't where they needed to be." Ewers returned to start the second half, finishing 25-of-43 for 211 yards, while Manning went 3-of-6 for 19 yards. The Bulldogs got pressure on 39% of dropbacks, according to ESPN Research, with seven sacks.
Sarkisian said he knows the task at hand and also thinks his team has made the most of its opportunities on the road, such as at Michigan earlier this year and this past weekend against Texas A&M.
"They embrace knowing they're not running out [at home] and there's 105,000 burnt orange fans screaming and yelling for them," Sarkisian said. "They kind of embrace and get fueled by the boos and the crowd noise on the road. ... I've looked at all of our numbers. I feel like we have more false starts at home than we do when we're actually on the road because it forces our focus, it forces the communication. I would argue some of our best football over the last two years has been played on the road."
After an emotionally charged 17-7 win in the renewal of the rivalry with Texas A&M last week, Sarkisian said he's pleased with how his team has evolved since the Georgia loss. The Longhorns ran for 240 yards on 50 carries against the Aggies.
"We're not a one-dimensional team, maybe where we were at that juncture in the season," Sarkisian said, adding he was happy with his team's response to moving past the big win in College Station. "It was a special moment, but that moment ended when we got off the bus back here in Austin. We've got to get back to work because the mission's not done and there's more work to do."