The Daily Texan 2021-09-14

DT VOLUME 122, ISSUE 17 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

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Questions surround Texas football program after loss to Arkansas.

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/ the daily texan staff / the daily texan staff

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Authentic, affordable Hispanic food trucks to try this Hispanic Heritage Month.

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The Texas volleyball team is playing a packed schedule for the third straight semester.

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UNIVERSITY

UT student wins $10,000 vaccine incentive prize, mistakes call for spam

By Kevin Vu

On her way home for Labor Day weekend, mathematics freshman Maya Niyogi answered a call from an unknown number only to hear she won $10,000 from the UT vaccine incentive program.

“I generally do not pick up unknown numbers unless they leave a voicemail, so I ignored it,” Niyogi said. “Then I was in the car with my dad, and I saw that the same number had called me again … so I picked it up … and I go, ‘Hello,’ and they’re like, ‘Hi, Maya, this is so and so from the UT vaccine program and I was like ‘Ah fuck I got COVID-19.”

Instead, Niyogi was the first winner of the UT vaccine incentive program.

The University completed its first week of prize drawings for the vaccine incentive program on Sept. 3. The incentive program aims to increase vaccination rates among the community, help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and reward students, staff and faculty who received the vaccine, said Susan Hochman, University Health Services associate director for assessment, communications, and health information technology.

Niyogi said she had low hopes of winning the prize when she entered the drawing due to the sheer

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CMHC should use an app to make it easier for students to schedule mental health appointments.

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UT engineering students could be first collegiate team to launch liquid-propelled rocket into space.

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size of the University.

“I was easily going up against thousands of students, so the chance of me winning (was) practically zero,” Niyogi said.

Niyogi said she is excited to see what the future holds with the money she received.

She plans to utilize her prize money to further her academic opportunities by possibly studying abroad for a semester.

Kathleen Harrison, assistant director of communications for the Office of the Executive Vice

/ the daily texan staff

President and Provost, said in an email the prizes in the incentive program won’t impact a student’s financial aid since the University is using institutional Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds to supplement the gift-funded prizes.

Hochman said the University will continue to give away cash prizes, but other prizes will vary week to week. Drawings will take place every Friday at noon between Aug. 26 to Oct. 8, she said.

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NEWS

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

UNIVERSITY

Texas Rocket Engineering Lab working to be first college team to launch liquidpropelled rocket into space

By Katy Nelson @KatyNel86

UT engineering students could become the first collegiate team in the nation to launch a liquid-propelled rocket into space.

In 2019, the team started in the Base 11 competition hoping to achieve this dream. Although the competition is now unofficially canceled, the team of over 200 students continues to work independently to create the rocket they named Halcyon and launch it from scratch, said Sandy Barker, director of the Texas Rocket Engineering Lab. The team does not have a set date for the rocket’s completion, but they are ordering the last component for the engine and plan to start assembling it soon, chief engineer Lauren Rodriguez said. The earliest they could launch the rocket is in a year, Barker said.

Evan Silva, the structures principal engineer for the group, said creating the rocket

is a long process of design, review and testing.

“It’s just an amazing feeling that something that you pulled out of your head ... did exactly what it was supposed to do,” Silva, an aerospace engineering junior, said. “That’s one of the most satisfying feelings to have as an engineer.”

Barker said the team is designing the rocket from scratch, which is harder to create than a solid rocket engine.

“You can buy a solid rocket engine from different companies, and they’ll typically mix all the chemicals together for you and put it into the case from where it will burn,” Barker said. “So one of the big things is all the timing that’s involved.”

Rodriguez said the team plans to test the durability of the rocket through various simulations, including a hot fire test where the team’s engine is fired with gas to ensure it can handle launch conditions. Rodriguez said the team will fill the engine with water first to test the

amount of pressure it can withhold before performing the test.

“You fill it with water and pressurize it higher and higher than you think it’ll ever have to handle and if it does (work), you’re good to try gas,” said Rodriguez, an aerospace engineering senior. “Starting with water is a lot less dangerous because if you had a failure with your engine filled with gas it’s going to explode pretty catastrophically.”

Once the rocket is built, the team hopes to collaborate

copyright trel, and reproduced with permission

Texas Rocket Engineering Lab works to launch a liquid-propelled rocket into space.

with other schools to help them construct their own rockets. Barker said the team is working on a partnership with HustonTillotson University.

“There are other schools that dropped out of the competition that we weren’t really communicating with, and now we’re free to collaborate,” Barker said. “What we (would) really like to do is form a national university rocket consortium.”

The Texas Rocket Engineering Lab formed in 2019

and is now collaborating with aerospace engineering companies such as Firefly Aerospace and Emerson to help fund the project.

Overall, Barker said the team is excited to see what the future holds.

“Our philosophy is let’s design it, build it and test it,” Barker said. “We’re going to fail over and over and we’re going to learn from every single failure. That’s how rocket science works.”

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Editor-In-Chief | @TEXANOPINION TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

COLUMN

OPINION

Make mental health accessible Help students schedule counseling sessions in a more convienently.

By Michael Lazenby Columnist

fter calling the UT Counseling and Mental Health Center, I was shocked.

When I asked about scheduling a counseling session, I was told to call back in two hours. I was then told I would only possibly be able to speak with a member of the brief assessment team. The call ended with me being given the extension I should use if I called back,

GALLERY

anna kaminetz

and my problems seemed like they didn’t matter.

If student mental health ran on a set schedule, the current system works perfectly. However, when already stressed students are told to call back later, the CMHC is not sufficiently serving its purpose.

Students deserve better access to mental health scheduling services on their campus. The CMHC should consider creating an app where students can schedule an appointment quickly as opposed to waiting on the phone or flipping through multiple tabs on the computer.

Marketing junior Ivy Warren, expressed her concerns regarding the state of students and their lack of mental health scheduling accessibility.

“If I was in less of a crisis, like, ‘I know this day is going to be a little shaky,’ it would be nice to get something on the books. The two hour wait would be something that would add to my stress, especially if that two hour wait was not even guaranteeing an appointment,” Warren said. “If it was like, ‘oh you can maybe get an appointment after the two hour wait,’ I think I would start looking at other avenues of mental health counseling.”

Under the current system, students should be able to call the CMHC and schedule their earliest available appointment within minutes. In reality, student mental health is put on hold. An

carylyssa phoon

app could change this currently disheartening process.

“UT’s mental health services having their own app where patients can sign up for an appointment on the app, that might be really useful,” Warren said.

The CMHC needs to catch up with the rest of the University.

Numerous successful adjustments have been made during the past year regarding how we live and schedule our lives on campus. Why is something as important as mental health services lagging behind?

Dr. Ginny Maril, associate director for Clinical Services at the CMHC, sees merit in students having a scheduling app.

“I think it could be beneficial and I think that’s another thing

we’re consistently taking a look at. I definitely think that would increase convenience and access (for students),” Meril said. “I think we’re very interested in reducing barriers and the idea of a student being able to hit as few buttons as possible and get to what they need. I think we would all really support that.”

An app would reduce steps and stress. While it is encouraging that the CMHC may be interested in creating a scheduling app, they must follow through when it involves students’ mental wellbeing.

Not only does Maril understand the benefits of having a scheduling app, she also sees it as a feasible venture.

“I would say it would have to be in the realm of possibilities. The

/ the daily texan staff

‘how to make it happen’ would be outside of my clinical expertise,” Meril said. “But it certainly seems feasible.”

Students have access to grades, emails, and other miscellaneous announcements from UT in their back pocket.

While these are important for students to keep track of, they don’t hold a candle to student mental health. Being able to schedule a session with one of the CMHC’s counselors in a matter of seconds rather than hours can make all the difference for a student seeking help.

Lazenby is an economics junior from Chicago, Illinois.

/ the daily texan staff

LEGALESE | Opinions expressed in The Daily Texan are those of the editor, the Editorial Board or the writer of the article. They are not necessarily those of the UT administration, the Board of Regents or the Texas Student Media Board of Operating Trustees.

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NEWS

5

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

STUDENT LIFE

Students report getting kicked out of student section during first football game

By Kaushiki Roy @kaushikiroy3

At UT’s first football game Sept. 4, some students said ushers and security guards asked them to leave the student section and denied others access to their seats while the stadium dealt with severe staffing shortages.

The Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, where UT holds home football games, can seat over 100,000 people. Over 91,000 people attended the first football game said John Bianco, senior associate athletics director for communications, in an email. While Bianco said the game operations staff is not aware of any students being kicked out of the student section, The Daily Texan confirmed seating difficulties with six students.

According to Chris Del Conte, vice president and athletics director, almost 500 part-time staff members did not arrive Saturday morning. Missing staff included concession workers, security and event staff, Del Conte said.

Bianco did not respond to questions regarding staffing issues.

Business freshman Carlos Ayon said event staff asked him and his four friends to leave their seats in the student section

after another couple showed them their reserved tickets. Ayon said he was confused because their usher told them previously the seats they chose were not reserved.

Ayon said he and his friends then moved to another section where security guards asked over 100 people to leave the area in the first quarter. He said the whole process felt hectic and tiring, especially due to the extreme heat during the event.

“They just told us we couldn’t be there, and one of my friends asked him (where) the student section was,” Ayon said, “The guard just replied, ‘Oh it’s not my problem,’ and when we asked where we could go, he told us, ‘Oh you should have figured that out before.’”

After being asked to leave their spots a second time, Ayon said he and his friends left the game altogether.

“This was my first football game,” Ayon said.

“Hopefully they’ll fix it in the future, but I’m never going to get the first UT football experience back without even being able to watch the first quarter.”

Similarly, civil engineering sophomore Donovan Meade said a staff member would not let him return to his seat after leaving to get water for himself and his friends before kickoff.

“I was pretty angry,” Meade said. “I just wanted to watch some football.”

Meade said he and others eventually bypassed the staffer but said other security guards were turning back students. He said he wishes the staff would be more clear on directing students to their sections.

“They definitely had empty seats in other parts of the stadium,” Meade said. “I feel like the student section could be expanded or at least direct students properly, because if we were to be turned away, it wasn’t clear where we would go instead.”

jack myer

/ the daily texan staff

Students say ushers and security guards asked them to leave the student section and denied others access to their seats during Texas football’s season opener against Louisiana on Sept. 3.

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

UNIVERSITY

Students take time off school, transition to part time classes

By Samantha Greyson @GreysonSamantha

As COVID-19 cases spiked in January, Davey Hiester suspected classes would move online for the fall semester. Before registering for courses in February, he decided to take a gap year to recover from the fatigue of virtual school.

“Even if the pandemic was really going to be a thing of the past and this school year was going to be normal in-person, I just felt so burnt out and exhausted academically,” Hiester said.

This fall, some students chose to take a gap semester or go part-time due to the threat of COVID-19 and the potential return of online classes.

Many Longhorns decided to focus on other jobs or interests while waiting to go back to an in-person college experience. Students had to register in early spring before the status of fall semester classes were certain.

Hiester said he has not played in-person ensemble music with other UT students since the beginning of the pandemic nearly a year and a half ago. Playing for a camera alone lacked the

collaboration in-person performance offers, Hiester said, and he didn’t want to risk wasting his senior year on any more online classes.

History junior Grace Calvert went from a fulltime student in the spring to taking two classes in the fall because she didn’t want to risk paying full price for Zoom classes.

“When I was doing the scheduled Zoom classes, that really was not a good learning style for me,” Calvert said. “I definitely am being very selective about what classes I take right now.”

UT will hold more than 90% of its classes face to face this fall, according to prior reporting by The Daily Texan.

However, professors were able to change course modality to online for the first three weeks of school.

Hiester lives in Philadelphia and said a year of online classes made him feel especially disconnected from the UT community.

“It was just a strange feeling because I felt so removed from actually going to UT,” Hiester said. “I always said this to people as a joke, but it’s actually not that much of a joke. I would literally feel more at school and connected to the UT community when I’d just be scrolling through Twitter, than when I’d be at Zoom class.”

This year, Hiester plays freelance bassoon for various orchestras and performs

in a chamber orchestra he created with some friends from high school.

Hiester intends to focus on music performance and his growing barbeque business instead of staying on track to finish his degree in May. “I would have just felt weird,” Hiester said. “It’s like, yeah, now I have a piece of paper that says ‘Bachelor of Music, bassoon performance,’ but I would have felt like I didn’t get enough of that educational experience.”

mindy van

/ the daily texan staff

NEWS

LIFE&ARTS

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Life&Arts Editor | @TEXANARTS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

CITY

Saint Louise House helps women, kids transition out of homelessness The non profit celebrates its 20th anniversary this year

By Carolyn Parmer @_carolynparmer

wenty years ago, Saint Louise House opened its doors to five homeless families to help homeless moms and their children build life skills and find permanent housing. Today, the nonprofit can house up to 46 families with over 100 children.

On just one night in 2020, 2,506 people experienced homelessness in Austin, according to ​​the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition. Saint Louise House, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, helps women find permanent housing.

“From the very beginning, I have always loved Saint Louis House,” said Maria Kiehn, director of community support.

“But more than even just the mission, because there are so many organizations that are doing really great work in our area, I love the entire sense of community around Saint Louise House.”

With the help of volunteers, Saint Louise House has furnished 205 apartments and embraced over 653 mothers and children over the past 20 years. Families who come to the facility stay in a fully furnished apartment for as long as they wish and work with staff on their individual needs.

“Eighty percent of our families have experienced domestic violence,” Kiehn said.

“They’re already so strong, but so often they see only their failures and the situation that they are in. Our job is to help them, … see how strong they are, what talents they have and how they can use those to reach their goals.”

Saint Louise also hosts Star Kids, a program where volunteers play with the kids, which members from Texas Spirits, a UT spirit group, and Phi Chi Theta, a UT business fraternity, frequently attend.

rocky higine

Julia Mitterer-Claudet, a neuroscience and Plan II senior, said her time volunteering at Star Kids with Texas Spirits taught her to listen to the organization’s needs and go where it needed her.

“We kind of acted like babysitters,” Mitterer-Claudet said. “While we were taking care of the kids, the moms were doing financial literacy classes or going shopping or interview prep, just all the stuff they needed to do in order to continue to progress … that they normally can’t do since they’re watching the kids.”

Saumil Khadilkar, a management information systems senior and Phi Chi Theta’s philanthropy chair, volunteered at Saint Louise’s Fourth of July celebration. He said he learned to appreciate the unplanned moments with the kids.

“What sticks out isn’t these thoroughly planned games (that are) super organized (where) you’re having to put on, what I would describe as fake energy and fake enthusiasm,” Khadilkar said. “If you’re just chill and you hang out with them, they really appreciate that.”

/ the daily texan staff

Kiehn said the resilience of the women who come through Saint Louise House constantly amazes her. Many of them write letters of gratitude to the staff after they move out of the facility.

“The first thing that I’m always, always struck by is that the mothers who come to Saint Louise House are already amazing before they get here,” Kiehn said. “They are so strong, and they have faced down so many challenges and held their families together through it all.”

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

LIFE&ARTS

CITY

Local marketplace Frida Friday showcases diverse lineup of creatives

By Michelle Facio @michelleefacio

As the sun sets on Austin, reggaeton starts to blare through the food truck park where local vendors sell aguas frescas, empanadas and tacos to excited customers. Across the way, tables decorate the lawn — each one with collections of handmade earrings, colorful canvases, art prints and displays of small bottles of natural oils, hand soaps or doormats.

Throughout each month, Austin venues such as Lustre Pearl East, Central Machine Works, Cheer up Charlies, Meanwhile Brewing, Arbor Food Park and Veracruz All Natural host Frida Friday, a women-of-color centered marketplace and cultural event. For over four years, Frida Friday has provided

Austin’s BIPOC creators an opportunity to come together to celebrate their communities and uplift each other’s voices through art, music and food. “(Frida Friday) morphed over time and expanded to supporting women of color, queer folks and BIPOC folks in Austin,” said Jasmin Porter, Frida Friday event production manager. “We’re trying to give a platform just for local vendors to have multiple spaces where they can showcase their work.”

Porter said vendors can apply to sell at Frida Friday on its website and check their Instagram (@fridafridayatx) for updates on events and marketplaces. Vendors can also sign up for the Frida Friday vendor email list on the official website.

Nadia Ramon founded Dezynr, a small San Antonio-based polymer clay jewelry busi-

ness, in July 2020. She said she wanted to showcase her work alongside other creatives, and she chose to start vending at Frida Friday because of the large presence of Latinas like herself.

“Every time I come to (an) event, as a Latina, I feel safe,” Ramon said. “I feel like there’s going to be another Latina right next to me.

There’s going to be another woman of color right next to me with the same goals and the same mission.”

Ramon said Frida Friday helped her expand Dezynr, which just celebrated its one year anniversary, to areas outside of San Antonio. Though her business is based in San Antonio, Ramon said she familiarized herself with Austin small businesses through Frida Friday.

“I like to set up early (at Frida Friday) and

do my rounds of meeting people and buying products whenever I can,” Ramon said. “(I) support small as well as buy small.”

Roman Flores, co-owner of Que Rico T-Shirt Co., said his company started selling its T-shirts, hats, bandanas and pins at Frida Friday almost two years ago. Over the course of that time, Que Rico T-Shirt Co. has created connections and celebrated fellow small businesses.

“It’s more like a party where you’ve gotten to know some of the vendors that do it all the time and new vendors so you get to celebrate, you get to share ideas, celebrate your products, connect with customers,” Flores said.

“That’s why I feel like Frida Friday is more than a market, it’s like a celebration.”

*Student discounts available!

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/ the daily texan staff

LIFE&ARTS

9

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

FOOD

Austin food trucks to check out for Hispanic Heritage Month

Food trucks are an Austin staple and many center their menus on Hispanic cuisine. With Hispanic Heritage Month beginning on Sept. 15, The Daily Texan compiled a list of food trucks with Hispanic cuisine for pre-class bites or lunch outings with friends.

Behind the UT Co-op lies Taqueria Jefes. The food truck prides itself on being an Austin staple through its modern interpretation of classic dishes.

Serving tacos, enchiladas and other traditional Spanish dishes, the food truck boasts raving reviews. Grab a crowd favorite three-street taco special on the way to class or tres leches as a sweet treat.

El Primo: Taco Truck on 1st St.

Mi Madre’s Restaurant: Manor Rd.

By Ikram Mohamed @ikramxmoham

Founded by Jose Perez and run by his three children, El Primo is the original location of the Perez family’s restaurants. The food truck specializes in tacos, burritos and tortas with different options for every meal of the day. The food may taste familiar — Burrito Factory in Dobie Mall is also a Perez family restaurant. El Primo provides meals on a budget, with prices between two and eight dollars. The food truck only accepts cash, so plan accordingly.

Taqueria Jefes: 23rd St.

When Aurelio and Rosa Torres started Mi Madre’s in 1990, they only offered 10 seats in their taco shop.

The couple now serves authentic Mexican cuisine in their restaurant equipped with two dining rooms and outside dining areas. The Austin Chronicle recently declared the restaurant’s tacos Austin’s best. But don’t sleep on Mi Madre’s other dishes: the restaurant also offers burritos, plates and salads.

Mi Madre’s costs slightly more than other similar restaurants, but boasts huge portions.

Veracruz All Natural: 111 E Cesar Chavez St. and 5 additional locations

What began as a small food truck on East Cesar Chavez has now become an Austin chain with six restaurant locations in the Austin area. Founded by the Vazquez sisters, Veracruz All Natural “offers authentic Mexican food, smoothies and juices,” according to its website.

The restaurant offers a variety of tacos, with various vegan and vegetarian options to accommodate dietary restrictions.

Taqueria Anyeli: 916 W 32nd St.

Tucked behind the Shell gas station on 32nd street, Taqueria Anyeli pleases customers with the quality and authenticity of its food. Though further from campus than other spots on the list, its delicious, freshly made tortillas justify the drive. Taqueria Anyeli offers both breakfast and lunch tacos, and prices range from two to three dollars per taco.

alicia paz / the daily texan staff

N AT H A N H A N

10

Sports Editor | @TEXANSPORTS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

VOLLEYBALL

SPORTS

Texas volleyball’s tired

The Longhorns are playing a packed schedule for the third straight semester due to COVID-19

By Hannah Williford @howdy_itshannah

he Texas volleyball team is tired.

Since the Longhorns began classes at the end of August, they have played, and won, a total of seven matches. Due to a COVID-19 break during last year’s season, this is the third semester in a row Texas Volleyball is in action, including a deep NCAA tournament run in April.

Head coach Jerritt Elliott said players took at least three weeks off in the summer to rest, but the team has been busy since their schedule began again this fall.

“Adults don’t realize that these kids are going from eight in the morning until nine o’clock at night and they’re traveling and they’ve got papers and they’re

not getting a whole lot of sleep,” Elliott said. “For them, this is the first time in their life that they’ve been in this kind of grind.”

Elliott said he relies on check-ins players perform on their iPads each day to see how the team is doing mentally and physically, as well as touching base in-person and communicating with team captains.

The had coach also attempts to carve out time for them “just to be 18 to 22 year olds,” Elliott said. Before the semester began, he crammed his 6’4” frame into a go-kart and took the team to the F1 racetrack to compete head-to-head. Elliott claimed that out of the team, he took home the prize for best racer.

“Coaches have such a big responsibility for their (players’) emotional health right now,” Elliott said. “It’s been something that I’ve been dealing with for 21

years here. That happens through relationships and communication and seeing where they’re at.”

In both games over the past weekend, Texas lost one set. All of their other games besides No. 7 Minnesota had been sweeps. But Elliott said he has been pleased overall with the team’s performance and said getting into tight games, like Sunday’s thriller against Notre Dame, is important to the team.

“We want to be in this situation, we want to embrace being stressed out, we want to embrace being pushed,” Elliott said. “You’ve got to be able to handle those emotional highs and lows and be able to focus when you’re down a few points.”

The focus will be necessary this season, as Elliott said he estimates 12-16 teams have Final Four potential.

“The challenge of the season is always,

‘Can you match the emotional output that the other team has?’” Elliott said.

“At Texas, you get the best shot from everybody. It’s their national championship match and so there’s a difference in terms of the emotional responsibility that you have putting on that uniform.”

While Elliott said the team will finally have 3-4 days of rest at the end of next week, they first have to get through Friday’s game against rival Texas A&M and next Wednesday’s match versus Rice, who they lost to last season.

“We’ve kind of got to just grind this out and then they’ll get some days off … to just emotionally get some rest and get their bodies in order,” Elliott said.

On Monday, both the players and Elliott had a short one-day rest. Elliott said he planned to spend the day quietly: in the backyard, complete with a nap and a little barbeque.

jack myer / the daily texan file Texas volleyball celebrates after winning a point. Head coach Jerritt Elliott said the team has been in a busy grind this fall after playing three straight semesters due to a COVID-19 break during last year’s season.

SPORTS

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

COLUMN

Pump the breaks on reacting to Arkansas loss

By Matthew Boncosky @mboncosky

The Texas Longhorns went into Fayetteville, Arkansas, on a high note after handily beating a top-25 Louisiana squad in week one. They returned crushed, suffering a humiliating 40-21 defeat.

Then — as is often the case with the Texas crowd — worries among the fan base about the overall state of the football program abounded. It’s week two of the Steve Sarkisian era, and Texas lost a football game. It happens.

When Sarkisian took over as head coach this past off-season, he inherited the roster that his predecessor Tom Herman had left him. The Herman years were frustrating, but he did a lot of laudable work in recruiting talented players to come play for Texas. One of those players, running back Bijan Robinson, is the face of the team now.

The strides that Herman made appeared to set Sarkisian up for success right away, at least from an optimist’s perspective. After all, Texas had just slashed Colorado in 55-23 in the Alamo Bowl.

Then came the typical Texas off-season football hype train and a buzzworthy performance in week one. Little ol’ Arkansas appeared like a small bump in the road on Texas’ return to relevancy at that point.

The drubbing that the Longhorns received on Saturday was the slice of humble pie needed to remind both players and fans alike that programs do not turn around in one off-season, no matter how much work was done by the previous staff.

“The natural, knee-jerk reaction is, ‘The sky is falling, we gotta change everything,’” Sarkisian said Monday.

“We’ve got a system and we’ve got coaches that have withstood the test of time, and we’ll rely on that and the players will continue to buy into that.”

There are plenty of things that need

fixing from an X’s and O’s standpoint for this Texas team, but Sarkisian understands that and admitted as much both after Saturday’s game and on Monday. Sarkisian has been around the block a time or two. He knows what it’s like to lose both on and off the field.

The fact is, the Longhorns entered an incredibly hostile environment and came up short. Texas fans might not have felt the full intensity of the affair from their living room couches, but the energy that Razorback fans brought to the fight cannot be discounted in this discussion.

“For a young team with a new coach with new experiences, this was the first time that (our) young cats played in front of 80,000 (fans in a) hostile environment,” junior defensive lineman Moro Ojomo said. “I think it was good for them to see that and experience that early on.”

While much work remains to be done, not only for this season but in preparing for Texas’ eventual Southeastern Conference transition as well, one loss is not enough to derail Sarkisian from his plans for this program. It shouldn’t derail fans’ hopes in him either.

COLUMN

Arkansas loss is more than bump in road

By Nathan Han @NathanHan13

Yes, Steve Sarkisian is only two games into his tenure as Texas football head coach. Yes, he inherited an imperfect roster with no clear starting quarterback. And yes, the Longhorns went into an extremely hostile environment in Fayetteville, Arkansas against a Razorbacks team on the rise.

But Texas’s 40-21 loss against Arkansas wasn’t just a growing pain for a program with players learning a new scheme under a new coaching staff.

Last Saturday’s blowout was a reminder of just how much work Sarkisian will have to do to bring Texas out of a decade of mediocrity.

It wasn’t just the fact that Texas lost to a SEC team the Longhorns will likely face when they take the leap to the vaunted Southeastern Conference. It was the way in which they lost almost every facet of the game: dominated in the trenches on both sides, outschemed by Razorback defensive coordinator Barry Odom and just not ready for the rowdy crowd and physi-

jack myer

/ the daily texan staff

In his second game at the helm of the Texas football team Saturday, Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns were upset by the Arkansas Razorbacks 40-21.

cal play of Arkansas.

The loss against the Razorbacks will only count once on the record, but it exposed flaws in the Texas team that take weeks of coaching and years of recruiting and roster building to fix.

Having a better understanding of offensive line coach Kyle Flood’s new scheme isn’t enough to improve this 2021 version of the Texas blockers enough to bring them to an above average SEC position group.

Bringing in the right recruits and developing them is the solution — a long-term solution the past two Texas head coaches haven’t been able to accomplish.

Former head coach Tom Herman’s recruiting classes were no slouch. But Sarkisian knew what taking a new job at a program that won seven and eight games in 2020 and 2019 means.

“We (have) a talented team. Is it ideally built exactly how I would (build) it? Maybe not, but that’s part of taking over a program,” Sarkisian said. “You try to put all of the pieces on your roster and in your organization to be successful. And then you got to recruit and build the roster the way you want it. There’s always a little bit of that transition period.”

And the humiliating defeat to Arkansas showed that that transition period will take a long time, time that isn’t normally afforded to head coaches at the University of Texas.

Nineteen-point losses to unranked opponents aren’t lengthening that already-short leash.

Of course, there is a road to redemption — starting with bouncing back from Saturday’s loss and navigating a tricky Big 12 schedule. Sarkisian, along with players like sophomore running back Bijan Robinson, were quick to say that the loss doesn’t have to define the season.

But the loss did show that they’re just not ready yet for an SEC schedule and not ready to turn the corner of the past ten years of Texas football.

COMICS

D E S T I N Y A L E X A N D E R & B A R B R A D A LY

Comics Editors | @TEXANCOMICS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

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