Forty Acres Insider: September 26

Chris Del Conte head shot

Longhorn Nation,

We came, we saw, we conquered, and doggone-it, what a beautiful sight it was with the Burnt Orange faithful taking over McLane Stadium in the end. Coach Sark and our laser-focused Longhorns continued the mission, and y'all were right there by our side bringing that patented passion, pride and Texas Fight! Round one of the Big 12 Farewell Tour commenced and I must say, the stars at night, were big and bright as our Longhorns were en fuego. It was a total team victory on a steamy Saturday in Waco, kicking off our final year of Big 12 Football in style by running over and around the Baylor Bears. Most in the green, gold or blackout t-shirts in the sold-out crowd didn't make it until the end, but y'all represented us very, very well. As the final ticks came off the clock and we put over one more win — in total domination I must say — gathering with y'all for "The Eyes of Texas" before we departed the field was a perfect ending to a glorious evening.

It feels good to be a Longhorn 🤘 pic.twitter.com/PZKDgtJmPU
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 24, 2023

We know there's so much more ahead, but on this night on the Brazos, Coach Sark and our No. 3-ranked squad registered an impressive 38-6 knockout to victoriously open league play. There was the suffocating defense led by the unstoppable force of our D-Line, the dynamic running of Jonathan Brooks that made our Longhorn Legend Jamaal Charles joining us on the sideline smile, X-Man and JT delivering (at one point on a nifty gadget play to each other), while the Mighty Quinn put on his track shoes and did his best VY impersonation scampering down the sidelines for six. But the best part is this is a team, and a Longhorn Nation that is on a mission, United as One. Together, we brought home victory and it was so dang fun! After we celebrated with y'all and exited enemy turf, watching and listening to our guys continue to reinforce the deep connection, and Sark's "we, not me" culture truly blossoming. To a man, everyone contributed, then celebrated the victory, boarded the buses and headed back to Austin to prepare to get back to work.

Victory secured 🤘 pic.twitter.com/UqS6phkD0K
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 24, 2023

Now, as Coach Sark said in his press conference right after the game, we are all so fired up to make another triumphant return home. The last time we were in DKR, y'all brought it BIG-TIME. It was an AWESOME, electric environment, and we are so looking forward to seeing the best fans in the land on BEVO Blvd., Smokey's Midway and Longhorn City Limits before the game, then packing the house for game time. Kansas is a really good, top-25 team and we need The Nation out in full force all the livelong day on Saturday!

A Top 25 matchup in DKR 🤘

🏈 Texas vs. Kansas
📅 Saturday, Sept. 30 | 2:30 PM CT
📍 DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium
📺 ABC
Presented by Truist pic.twitter.com/XlKiIrAcPP
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 25, 2023

Meanwhile in Norman, there was more utter Longhorn domination in farewell tour action as Coach Elliott and our Volleyball squad swept the Sooners on Friday and Saturday to open Big 12 play with a 2-0 mark. Like Football, they're back to the friendly and raucous confines of The Greg this week, hosting a pair of huge top-10 matchups with Big 12 newcomer BYU on Thursday (8 p.m. CT/FS1) and Friday (7 p.m. CT/LHN). Coach Kelly and our Soccer team suffered a pair of heartbreaking losses to ranked foes in Texas Tech and BYU this past week, but they'll look to get back to their winning ways when they host West Virginia on Thursday (6 p.m. CT/LHN) before traveling to Kansas on Sunday (1 p.m. CT/Big 12 Now on ESPN+). Men's and Women's Tennis are also back on the courts, and don't forget about our former Golf stars Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler teeing it up for Team USA across the pond in Rome, Italy in the Ryder Cup on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

It's a great time to be a Longhorn, so here's to another week in the Burnt Orange and White. Let's Do This! HOOK 'EM!!

plan your week🤘#HookEm | @seatgeek pic.twitter.com/b4A62V20Jm
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) September 25, 2023

A Texas-Sized Salute to the G.O.A.T.

Before we take a closer look back at last week's results and prepare for Saturday's big game in Austin, we need to give a "Hook 'Em" to our G.O.A.T., Eddie Reese. Last Friday, we announced that our legendary Men's Swimming and Diving head coach plans to officially retire following the conclusion of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in late June. I know what you're thinking, that we've said that before. Well, this time it's for real and we'll begin a national search for his successor at the conclusion of the NCAA Championship season in March. His numbers and championships speak for themselves, but it's who Eddie is as a person and a teacher that will be his legacy. He's the best of all time, and it was never about him but always about the students he coached. Eddie, you're the G.O.A.T. of the Forty Acres!

Legendary coach Eddie Reese, who led Texas to a record 1️⃣5️⃣ National Championships, announces his plans to retire following the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. 🤘🐐

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆#HookEm | https://t.co/BmPspBABIE pic.twitter.com/AXbZauIfTU
— Texas Men's Swimming & Diving (@TexasMSD) September 22, 2023

Football earns dominant win in Waco

It was a Burnt Orange night in Waco as so many of you once again made the short trip north and changed the shade of a big part of McLane Stadium to our favorite color. I know I speak for Coach Sark when I say we can't thank you enough for the type of support you gave our Horns and helped them to a tremendous 38-6 win. To our guys, the green in the stadium meant go, as from the jump, the defense set the tone and the sacks were aplenty. Then the offense followed suit and was lighting it up, as for the FOURTH straight game our squad put up 21 points in a quarter, this time in the second. Talk about scoring in bunches! This is a group that can hit the gas and leave a trail a dust, and that's just what they did on Saturday. JB (Jonathon Brooks) got the party started for the O on their second possession, sprinting around the right side for 40 yards to the house on his way to another 100-yard performance. Speaking of 100 yards, JT (Ja'Tavion Sanders) hit that mark again in receiving, which is something special from that tight end position. Once again Quinn was dealing, and not only that, he was wheeling! I mean come on, someone needs to check Coach Flo if he needs another sprinter the way he burned down the sideline. He even finished with the head bob like he was running through the tape! Then all he did was complete 18-of-23 for just under 300 yards and found my man X for a TD. Not only did X get found, he did some finding of his own to JT, showing off that arm for 35 yards to set up the freshman CJ Baxter taking it home. All the while, the D was doing its thing to keep the Bears out of the end zone with no bigger play than the one by who else, Mr. Ford Tough, when he grabbed yet ANOTHER interception. That's count 'em 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 for him in his career, and you want even crazier than that? On every single one of those, the offense has followed by putting it in the end zone. Wow, that's making it pay off! That's just what his defensive teammates did, too, setting up shop in the Baylor backfield with big Murph, Byron Murphy, gobbling up two sacks, three tackles for loss, and another trip to the end zone. He might not have had the ball in his hands for this one, but he plowed the way for JB's second TD! Special shoutout too for T-Sweat making his presence felt right beside Byron. All in all, it was a glorious night, and I'm sure you all had spirited drives back to Austin. We're going to need you to bring that spirit again back to DKR for a ranked matchup against the undefeated Jayhawks (2:30 p.m. CT/ABC)! It's gonna be rockin' on the outside to start and then rockin' on the inside for the top-25 clash, so bring all your hook 'ems and all your Texas Fight to the party!

Keep pushing. Keep improving. Keep fighting.

Texas vs. Baylor 🎬 pic.twitter.com/urmQ8tGabM
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 26, 2023

Limited tickets remain for Saturday's game

Although season tickets and 3-game mini plans are sold out for the 2023 football season, a limited number of single-game tickets are still available for Saturday game versus Kansas! Tickets can be purchased online at TexasSports.com/Tickets. Fans who wish to receive information about season tickets in future years can fill out a ticket interest form.

Action-packed gameday for our Big 12 home opener on Saturday kicks off at 10 a.m.!

Longhorn Nation, the passion you have brought to DKR-TMS and to our road games in Tuscaloosa and Waco over the last month has been fantastic! We need you to bring that fire again this Saturday when we host Kansas in our Big 12 home opener. It's also our final home game for nearly a month, so let's all make sure we get the Forty Acres rocking.

All of our pregame festivities will start up at 10 a.m. with the best pregame experience in the nation, including Bevo Blvd presented by H-E-B, Smokey's Midway, and Hook 'Em Hangout. It's an action-packed pregame with both our Beach Volleyball (12:15 p.m.) and Softball (1 p.m.) teams signing autographs (both across from Gate 5 on Bevo Blvd), and you can't miss the Bevo Parade presented by Texas Farm Bureau Insurance (11:30 a.m.) and Stadium Stampede team walk when Coach Sark and the boys arrive (at 12:15 p.m.).

Fans looking for the best food and craft beers should head to Hook 'Em Hangout on the northwest corner of the stadium in Winship Circle. Big Beertha, the giant draft beer truck with 10+ taps, will be serving up the finest craft taps along with over 10 food trucks. The best games from around the country will be shown under tents with plenty of shade.

Stay tuned to our social media platforms as Saturday's lineup for Longhorn City Limits presented by Still Austin Whiskey Co. will be announced very soon. It's a pregame AND postgame edition you won't want to miss!

Here's your complete Saturday schedule

7 a.m. – Parking Lots open
10 a.m. – Bevo Blvd pres. By H-E-B, Smokey's Midway, and Hook 'Em Hangout open
10 a.m. – Noon – Photo ops with Smokey the Cannon on Smokey's Midway
10 a.m. – Hook 'Em Herd signups begin for kids ages 7-12 across from Gate 1 on Bevo Blvd (spots available on first-come, first-served basis)
10:30 a.m. – Gate 8 Box Office opens for mobile ticket support
11 a.m. – Still Austin Music Lounge and Tito's Tailgate at Longhorn City Limits opens
11:15 a.m. – Live music begins at Longhorn City Limits pres. by Still Austin Whiskey Co.
11:30 a.m. – Texas Exes Tailgate opens at Alumni Center for Texas Exes members
11:30 a.m. – Bevo Parade pres. by Texas Farm Bureau Insurance on Bevo Blvd (Fans line up at 11:15 a.m. at South Entrance on Bevo Blvd)
11:30 a.m. – Gate 25 opens for Big Ticket holders (UT students)
Noon – Mariachi Paredes LIVE at Hangout Stage inside Hook 'Em Hangout
12:15 p.m. – Stadium Stampede team arrival on Bevo Blvd (Fans line up at Noon at North Entrance on Bevo Blvd)
12:15 p.m. – Texas Beach Volleyball autographs at Bevo Blvd (across from Gate 5)
12:30 p.m. – Live music at Longhorn City Limits pres. by Still Austin Whiskey Co.
12:30 p.m. – Box Offices at Gate 2B, 25, and 32 open for mobile ticket support
12:30 p.m. – All stadium gates and Longhorn Hospitality areas open
1 p.m. – Texas Softball autographs on Bevo Blvd across from Gate 5
1:30 p.m. – Longhorn Band March to the stadium
2 p.m. – Bevo Blvd, Longhorn City Limits, Smokey's Midway, and Hook 'Em Hangout close
2:30 p.m. – Kickoff vs. Kansas!
In-Game – Outstanding Young Texas Exes Recognition
Halftime – Longhorn Band and Alumni Band Halftime Show
Postgame – Live music at Longhorn City Limits pres. by Still Austin Whiskey Co.

For a full list of activities and everything you want to know about all-things gameday, please visit our Football GameDay headquarters page.

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage on Saturday

As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, Texas Athletics is proud to showcase several elements during our football game versus Kansas this weekend to celebrate Longhorns Por Vida! During pregame, fans can enjoy multiple performances by Mariachi Paredes de la Universidad de Texas at the Hook 'Em Hangout Stage as well as on the steps at Gate 1 following the Bevo Parade. Several Latin artists will also be creating live murals celebrating Hispanic Heritage and the Longhorns on Bevo Blvd! At halftime, the Longhorn Band will perform a special Hispanic Heritage halftime show. And don't miss Texas Pom performing during a featured timeout, combining the music of Pitbull and Daddy Yankee.

Join Coach Sark at his weekly radio show on Wednesdays at Pluckers in west campus

Let's pack the house this week for this one! Come join us each Wednesday from 6-7 p.m. at Pluckers Wing Bar in west campus (2222 Rio Grande St.) for "Longhorn Weekly with Coach Sark," our weekly coach's radio show hosted by "Voice of the Longhorns" Craig Way. It's a great opportunity to show your support for Coach Sark while enjoying outstanding food and drinks from our partners at Pluckers.

Getting ready for Year Two of Hoops in The Mood

The Big 12 Conference office unveiled the league schedules for both Men's and Women's Basketball earlier this morning, so you know hoops season is just around the corner. We can't wait to see you pack Moody Center all year long! Save the Date for Tuesday, October 17 (6 p.m. CT), when Coach Terry and our Men's team get things rolling with the Orange-White Scrimmage in Gregory Gym. And do the same the following week on Tuesday, October 24 (6 p.m. CT), when Coach Schaefer and our Women's squad host its Orange-White Scrimmage in Moody Center. The best part is both scrimmages are FREE! Get your season tickets HERE to cheer on our ladies! Although season tickets are sold out for Men's Basketball, we urge you to fill out a ticket interest form and be on the lookout for single-game tickets for games over the holiday break when students are out of town.

almost showtime 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/JU7fD6QEeA
— Texas Men's Basketball (@TexasMBB) September 26, 2023

plan accordingly 🫡

more details here ➡️ https://t.co/5qeawEecrt #HookEm pic.twitter.com/Kcd1daK7AO
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) September 26, 2023

Volleyball opens Big 12 play with pair of Red River sweeps

Volleyball got Big 12 play off on the right foot with back-to-back sweeps over rival Oklahoma in Norman. Despite the first match being a sweep, it was very tightly contested throughout with both the first and third sets going to extra points. Madisen Skinner had yet another big match on Friday, leading the team with 19 kills. In Saturday's match, it was all Texas all night with an emphatic sweep of the Sooners. Texas has now won 20-straight matches over Oklahoma with 14 sweeps dating back to the 2014 season. This week, we need all of Longhorn Nation at The Greg as our Horns host a pair of tough matches against top-10 ranked BYU on Thursday (8 p.m. CT, FS1) and Friday (7 p.m. CT, LHN).

🧹🧹🧹#HookEm pic.twitter.com/T6XY2INAOg
— Texas Volleyball (@TexasVolleyball) September 24, 2023

Soccer looks to bounce back after pair of heartbreaks

Soccer can be a grueling sport and our Longhorns were on the wrong side of two last-minute defeats against then-No. 25 Texas Tech (2-1) and then-No. 6 BYU (3-2) over the last five days. Tech had a shot on goal roll into the back of the net with exactly ONE second left in the match, and BYU scored with less than seven minutes left during Monday's contest. Talk about two tear-jerkers as our ladies were right there, just minutes away against a pair of nationally-ranked opponents. On the flip side, Lexi Missimo continues to leave scorch marks on the pitch as the Southlake native leads the COUNTRY in goals (14), assists (15) and points (43). No Longhorn has EVER had a 15-goal, 15-assist season and there are still seven regular season matches left! We'll look to get back in the winners' column this week when we host West Virginia on Thursday (6 p.m. CT/LHN) before traveling to Kansas for a Sunday matinee (1 p.m. CT/Big 12 Now on ESPN+). Let's go show the Mountaineers and Jayhawks that TEXAS FIGHT!

Men's and Women's Cross Country claim runner-up spots in Stillwater

Men's and Women's Cross Country took on the Cowboy Jamboree with full force and ran away with two runner-up performances on Saturday morning. The No. 13 Men's team was led by senior Devin Hart for the second meet in a row with his third-place finish, running a time of 23:44.6 in the 8K. On the women's side, Beth Ramos returned to the course to begin her final season in the Burnt Orange and White and finished fifth with her time of 21:14.9. The Longhorns are back on the road on Friday, October 13 for the Nuttycombe Invitational hosted by Wisconsin in our final regular-season meet prior to postseason competition.

Good morning from the Cowboy Jamboree! 👀#NCAAXC x @TexasTFXC pic.twitter.com/PL0NvoLrW5
— NCAA Track & Field (@NCAATrackField) September 23, 2023

A third-place finish & the No. 13 Longhorns top performer 🤘 pic.twitter.com/HPra4LHWLM
— Texas T&F/XC (@TexasTFXC) September 23, 2023

Hook 'Em Horns,

Chris Del Conte

P.S. – Come support our guy Nate Boyer and his powerful & inspirational movie on Monday!

Very excited to host a screening of the fantastic @MVPTheMovie with a Q&A featuring @NateBoyer37!

Monday October 2 at 6pm on campus @UTAustin.
🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

Details and free registration: https://t.co/6wFRvoqhG4 pic.twitter.com/9LyYgSslea
— Tolga Ozyurtcu (@ozyurtcu) September 20, 2023

P.S. – President Hartzell playing doubles at the TTC!

Tons of fun - and humbling - to hit with ⁦⁦@TexasMTN⁩ players @EshanTalluri⁩ & ⁦@espizz11⁩, and '93 ⁦@CockrellSchool⁩ PhD, ⁦@rajtalluri⁩! Eliot can be my doubles partner any time - I'm good with just saying, "yours!" 🤘 pic.twitter.com/r38lZECYPl
— Jay Hartzell (@JCHartzell) September 23, 2023

P.S. – Congrats, Jordan!

Welcome, Sophie
9/12/23 💕 pic.twitter.com/C7YlZwtjAm
— Jordan Spieth (@JordanSpieth) September 19, 2023

P.S. – The best fans!

Yeah, we have the best fans 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/0RgKkr9S7e
— Texas Volleyball (@TexasVolleyball) September 24, 2023

P.S. – Some awesome fall tennis at the Texas Tennis Center!

Lots of fist pumping over the past three days at the Longhorn Invitational #HookEm 🤘🎾 pic.twitter.com/FWTZS5fbYj
— Texas Men's Tennis (@TexasMTN) September 25, 2023

P.S. – Check out these rankings!

.@UTAustin is now the No. 9 national public university, No. 1 public university in Texas and No. 16 in education abroad programs according to @usnews' latest undergraduate rankings. Hook 'Em Horns! 🤘 https://t.co/GsAtDwGh7E pic.twitter.com/NsQp39M4xR
— Texas Global (@UTexasGlobal) September 20, 2023

HEADLINES

Kickoff time set for No. 3/5 Football vs. Oklahoma

Video: Steve Sarkisian press conference (Sept. 25)

Video: Football at Baylor highlights

Video: Bijan Robinson feature on ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown

Ford named Reese's Senior Bowl Defensive Player of the Week

Ovrootsky finishes as finalist at USTA Intercollegiate Championships

Men's Tennis concludes Longhorn Invitational with five wins

Softball opens Fall schedule with back-to-back dominate showings

Coaches Corner: Q&A with Track & Field Head Coach Edrick Floréal

Sanchez-Quintanar named Assistant Women's Tennis Coach

Rowing announces 2023-24 schedule