Forty Acres Insider: September 10

Chris Del Conte head shot

Longhorn Nation,

Texas Fight, Texas Fight, Yea Texas Fight! What an incredible scene it was on Saturday, TAKING OVER THE BIG HOUSE as Coach Sark and our Longhorns sent an emphatic message to the college football world with a 31-12 win over the defending National Champions! Two iconic brands going head-to-head, GameDay was in the house, Big Noon Kickoff broadcasted live from the game, and the 111,107 fans on hand (including oh-so-many of you!) were the most to ever see a Longhorn victory. What a fabulous display of the pride and winning tradition of The University of Texas they witnessed, culminated in an exhilarating rendition of The Eyes of Texas in enemy territory painted Burnt Orange and brimming with Hook 'Em Horns as far as the eye could see. It was college football at its finest, a game for the ages and a celebration of a historic win with our conquering Longhorns & amazing fans that I will never forget!

FOX's BIG NOON SATURDAY matchup featuring Texas' decisive victory over Michigan scored 9.35 million viewers 🏈

🥇 Most-watched college football game this season on any network
🥇 Most-watched telecast of the day on any network pic.twitter.com/lQPvVpo1QN
— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) September 10, 2024

One of Coach Sark's messages is TOUGH ALL DAY (thanks to our Longhorn Legend Roger Clemens, who was just that!). Saturday was absolutely that and much, much more. Physical dominance from the opening kick, a complete team victory, and this memorable triumph will forever go down in Longhorn Lore. From the Mighty Quinn's pinpoint passing (and yes, he put on a clinic all day and is the new sheriff in town … IYKYK!), to the offensive line's supremacy in a big-time challenge against a renowned Wolverine defensive front and our very own relentless defense that forced three turnovers, man were we all grinning from ear-to-ear, ALL DAY. And it was oh-so-magnificent having thousands of Longhorns in the house and millions watching worldwide bringing the patented passion, pride and heat (along with our main man the M.O.C. Matthew McConaughey who proudly stood toe-to-toe with Michigan Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson in a team flag standoff!). What a time it is to be a Longhorn. We're 2-0, stampeded up to No. 2 in The AP poll, and here we go. As Coach Sark told the team after the game, this journey isn't over! We get to do this a whole lot more!! And, the best part is, y'all can join us this Saturday to give a hero's welcome to our Horns as we'll roll out all our fantastic pregame festivities then face UTSA (6 p.m. CT/ESPN). That will kickoff a three-game homestand with ULM on Sept. 21 (7 p.m. CT/ESPN+) and our first-ever SEC game with Mississippi State in town Sept. 28 (time and TV TBA). We know you'll be there helping our Horns put over one more win. Holy cow, y'all already know the combination of weekend and football are phenomenal here on the Forty.

hail to the Horns 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/uXnIhBnZl4
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) September 7, 2024

Under the lights in DKR 🤘

🏈 Texas vs. UTSA
📅 Saturday, Sept. 14 | 6:00 PM CT
📍 DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium
📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/yxXLzpH3eF
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 9, 2024

There's action aplenty on the Forty all week too. No. 16 Soccer got a pair of wins too, knocking off Central Michigan on Thursday (3-1) and Long Beach State on Sunday (3-0) and at 6-0-1 is off to its BEST START TO A SEASON SINCE 2018. Thursday's victory was the 300th of Coach Kelly's career, so here's to an emphatic Hook 'Em to the leader of our undefeated Horns! We're right back at home this week with Houston Christian on Thursday (7 p.m. CT/SEC Network+). We'll get a break for a weekend and then SEC play is underway next week with No. 24 Alabama in town Thursday, Sep. 19 (7 pm CT/SEC Network+). Come on out and support your Horns!

congrats, @CoachAngeKelly 👏🤘#HookEm | #RunWithTexas pic.twitter.com/LPw9LjNv7J
— Texas Soccer (@TexasSoccer) September 6, 2024

Volleyball opened its home season to our always outstanding crowd at The Greg last week as our continuing-to-gel squad split a pair of matches. Y'all have a chance to pack the house and raise the roof again this week as we host Houston on Wednesday (8 p.m. CT/ESPN2). That will be followed up by another big-time early season matchup for our Horns as we travel to Stanford on Sunday for a nationally-televised match on ESPN (2 p.m. CT). Get those Horns Up and continue that never-ending support of our two-time defending National Champs!

All our programs are abuzz as we hit stride in September. Golf and Tennis are in action this week, Cross Country is competing while Track and Field is hard at work. Baseball, Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Swimming and Diving, they're all getting ready for prime time, to put on their best Texas Fight and compete at the highest level. It's just an AWESOME TIME TO BE A LONGHORN!

busy week Longhorn Nation 🤘#HookEm | @Seatgeek pic.twitter.com/2mn7JP6T2d
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) September 9, 2024

While I've got you, here's to hoping you're enjoying our in-house LHN streaming service. Our crew is hard at work generating tons of content on all our programs, and it's the place to be for Coach Sark's weekly press conference, historical and current content and of course the Longhorn Weekly show with Coach Sark program. You may not know, but that show is recorded live at Pluckers Wing Bar (2222 Rio Grande) right here in West Campus on Wednesday nights at 6 p.m. CT so you can come on by to watch it live, too. And if you can't be there, you can listen in on Thursdays on our flagship radio station, AM 1300 The Zone, and the Longhorn Radio Network, watch it locally on KBVO-TV and of course stream it on LHN (check your local listings for times in your area). What better way to get charged up for the next game!

Longhorn Weekly w/Coach Sark airs tonight on @am1300thezone & Longhorn Radio Network (7 pm CT). It's available Fri. on @LonghornNetwork & Fri/Sat in Austin (KBVO). Great visit with @willmatthewsnow, our FB clearing way for Cedric Benson & @VinceYoung10 in Rose Bowl vs Michigan🤘🏻 pic.twitter.com/ztLPce5nHa
— John Bianco (@UT_Bianco) September 5, 2024

Kudos are in order for two Longhorns who have been selected for induction into the College Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2024. My man Rocket, the previously mentioned Roger Clemens, our All-American, National Champion, World Champion and seven-time Cy Young Award winner whose number 21 is retired at UFCU Disch-Falk Field is receiving the much-deserved recognition. He will be joined by an all-time great from the early days in two-time All-American pitcher Murray Wall, who led Texas to back-to-back National Championships in 1949 and 1950. The induction is set for Feb. 13, 2025, in Overland Park, Kan., the home of the College Baseball Hall of Fame. The event will serve as the ceremonial start to the 2025 college baseball season, which begins on February 14. Congrats to an awesome pair of Longhorn Legends!

Longhorn Legends ➡️ Hall of Fame#HookEm pic.twitter.com/xrCkxQlxc1
— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) September 7, 2024

Hey, and speaking of Hall of Famers if you haven't gotten your Texas Athletics Hall of Honor tickets, what are you waiting for?! It's going to be an epic night supporting a dozen Longhorn Legends. You won't want to miss it! Get your tickets here:

Add it to the resume.

Colt McCoy is headed to the Hall of Honor🤘@txtassociation x @ColtMcCoy pic.twitter.com/0ZavpPRJY4
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) August 20, 2024

Football rolls in The Big House

Folks, absolutely nothing tops our home sweet home of DKR, but let me tell you, after that, it doesn't get much better than being able to go on the road to one of the most storied stadiums in the country against one of the great all-time college football programs and come out with a win. What a scene it was with the eyes of the nation squarely upon us and did Coach Sark and our lads ever deliver! Whoa! From start to finish, we were in control of the game and brought home one of the best true road victories in our history – 31-12 against the defending National Champs in their house. Think about that. And like Coach Sark and the staff always tell our guys – when the team wins the individual accolades will take care of themselves, and boy oh boy have they ever this week. Check out this list (so far):

Quinn Ewers

Maxwell Award National Player of the Week

Manning Award Star of the Week

Reese's Senior Bowl Offensive Player of the Week

Davey O'Brien Award Great 8

Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Player of the Week

SEC Offensive Player of the Week

Jake Majors

Outland Trophy National Player of the Week

SEC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week

Gunnar Helm

East-West Shrine Bowl Texas Star of the Week

Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Honorable Mention Player of the Week

Andrew Mukuba

Paycom Jim Thorpe Award National Defensive Back of the Week

What a dominant performance it was all around as the victory snapped the Wolverines' win streaks of 16 overall, a Big Ten-record 29 regular season wins, 23 home wins (their longest streak since 28 in 1969-73), 23 non-conference wins at home dating back to 2014, and 15 overall non-conference regular-season victories. Our 19-point win was our largest victory against a top-10 team on the road since 1979 again Missouri! It was also our biggest point difference over a top-10 team overall since 2005 in a 52-17 win over Texas Tech. Just astounding numbers right there, my friends!

Now like Coach Sark says, it's back to work, and we can't wait to get the family back together Saturday against UTSA at 6 p.m. CT!

Monday Morning Highlights: Big House edition ☕️🤘 pic.twitter.com/qXRRd4ArxG
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 9, 2024

Gameday festivities kick off at 1 p.m. on the Forty Acres this Saturday!

After a thrilling victory in Ann Arbor this past weekend, we can't wait to see Longhorn Nation back at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium this Saturday when we welcome our friends UTSA to the Forty. The best pregame experience starts at 1 p.m. with Bevo Blvd, Longhorn City Limits, Smokey's Midway, Hook `Em Hangout, and Big Bertha's Bazaar all ready to welcome the Burnt Orange and White for a full slate of activities!

Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Big Wy's Brass Band bring the vibes to LCL + the return of Silent Disco!

It's going to be an awesome scene on the LBJ Lawn this Saturday as we welcome the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band to Longhorn City Limits (pres. by Still Austin Whiskey Co.). Some of you may have seen them around our previous Sugar Bowl appearances but if you haven't already, make sure to make your way to LCL to check em out. Austin's own Big Wy's Brass Band will get the party started at 2:30 p.m. and as always, our friends at the Still Austin Music Lounge and Tito's Tailgate are ready to welcome our fans ages 21+ for an awesome time.

I'm also excited to announce the fan-favorite silent disco will return to LCL following this Saturday's game. If you've never tried it out and want to keep the gameday festivities going, make sure to head over postgame and grab a pair of headphones. Three DJs and you get to choose what you want to listen to. It's always a sight to see!

we can't wait to see y'all at LCL 🤩#HookEm | @preshallband pic.twitter.com/w9q1e4umYy
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) September 9, 2024

Big Bertha's Bazaar returns bigger and better!

Our debut of the inaugural Big Bertha's Bazaar was phenomenal. So many fans loved getting to get up-and-close with Big Bertha herself and have the opportunity to shop for unique Texas product you can't find anywhere else on gamedays. This weekend, we've got more licensees than the first weekend and stay tuned for later this week as we'll be unveiling a special apparel collection that will launch this Saturday at the bazaar!

Here's your complete Saturday schedule

7 a.m. – Parking Lots open
1 p.m. – Bevo Blvd pres. by H-E-B, Smokey's Midway pres. by Conecuh Sausage, and Hook 'Em Hangout open
1 p.m. – Big Bertha's Bazaar opens on Moody Center Plaza
1 p.m. – Still Austin Music Lounge and Tito's Tailgate at Longhorn City Limits opens
1 p.m. – Photo ops with Smokey the Cannon on Smokey's Midway
1 p.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)
1 p.m. - The Flat Creek Estate Wine Garden opens for fans ages 21-and-up on the north side of DeLoss Dodds Way near Trinity St.
2 p.m. – Gate 8 Ticket Resolution opens for mobile ticket support
2:30 p.m. – Big Wy's Brass Band LIVE at Longhorn City Limits pres. by Still Austin Whiskey Co.
3 p.m. – Texas Exes Tailgate opens at Alumni Center for Texas Exes members
3 p.m. – Sports Radio AM 1300 AM The Zone Longhorn Gameday Pregame Show LIVE at Hook `Em Hangout begins
3 p.m. – Bevo Parade pres. by Texas Farm Bureau Insurance on Bevo Blvd (Fans line up at 2:45 p.m. at South Entrance on Bevo Blvd)
3 p.m. – Gate 25 and Gate 25 Ticket Resolution opens for Big Ticket holders with general admission student tickets (UT students)
3:45 p.m. – Stadium Stampede team arrival on Bevo Blvd (Fans line up at 3:30 p.m. at North Entrance on Bevo Blvd)
4 p.m. – Preservation Hall Jazz Band LIVE at Longhorn City Limits pres. by Still Austin Whiskey Co.
4 p.m. – Ticket Resolution at Gate 1 and 32 opens for mobile ticket support
4 p.m. – All stadium gates and Longhorn Hospitality areas open
4 p.m. – Gate 31 opens for Big Ticket holders with reserved student tickets (UT students)
4 p.m. – Texas Men's and Women's Tennis autographs on Bevo Blvd across from Gate 5
5 p.m. – Longhorn Band March to the stadium (Starts on Robert Dedman Drive near Longhorn City Limits)
5:30 p.m. – Bevo Blvd, Longhorn City Limits, Smokey's Midway, Hook 'Em Hangout, and Big Bertha's Bazaar close
Pregame – KC-135 Flyover
6 p.m. – Kickoff vs. UTSA!
In-Game – Steve McMichael NFL Hall of Fame Induction Recognition
Halftime – Longhorn Band Halftime Show and UTSA Marching Band Halftime Show
Postgame – Silent Disco 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.

Volleyball continues homestand at Gregory Gym on Wednesday!

Our Longhorns were welcomed home to an awesome sold-out crowd for the home opener and the night did not disappoint! We unveiled the new National Championship banner before the match and then our Longhorns proceeded to sweep Indiana for the first home win of the season. Continuing the weekend, our ladies faced a tough battle against an exciting Miami team and came up just short in five sets on Saturday. The Longhorns are right back in action against Houston on Wednesday (8 p.m. CT/ESPN2) and we need The Greg rockin' again. The tough schedule doesn't let up either, as we'll head back on the road to face top-10 ranked Stanford on Sunday (2 p.m. CT/ESPN).

ring ring 📞🤘

head to Greg on Wednesday vs Houston and the first 500 fans will receive a 2023 National Championship replica ring 💍#HookEm pic.twitter.com/EoKOEBMyTH
— Texas Volleyball (@TexasVolleyball) September 9, 2024

Soccer picks up pair of home wins to remain undefeated

We mentioned it earlier in the introduction, but it's definitely worth noting again. A big-time congrats to Coach Kelly for winning 300 career matches! What an accomplishment and I couldn't be prouder of you for leading our program. Coach Kelly earned No. 300 when our ladies picked up a 3-1 win over San Diego State on Thursday. The Longhorns followed that with a 3-0 victory against Long Beach State on Sunday night. Our group is rolling right now with an undefeated record of 6-0-1! There's just one more non-conference match for Coach Kelly's squad before we make our debut in the Southeastern Conference. We will play host to Houston Christian on Thursday (7 p.m. CT/SEC Network+) before taking the weekend off and opening SEC play at home against No. 24 Alabama on Thursday, Sept. 19 (7 p.m. CT/SEC Network+). See y'all at Mike A. Myers Stadium to cheer on the Longhorns!

one 🎟️ for the 50/50 club, please 🤘#HookEm | #RunWithTexas pic.twitter.com/raaO65nkru
— Texas Soccer (@TexasSoccer) September 9, 2024

Hook 'Em Horns,

Chris Del Conte

P.S. — Epic photos from a memorable day in Ann Arbor!

Postgame feeling: Party Cam Edition 📸 pic.twitter.com/ROUnYb272v
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 7, 2024

y'all make anywhere feel like home 🫶🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/fxQ7GWA3fQ
— Texas Longhorns (@TexasLonghorns) September 7, 2024

P.S. — A wonderful, must-watch story on our guy Michael Taaffe!

"If I want to wear his number, if I want to represent who he is- I gotta do what he stood for." 🙏🧡

Tom Rinaldi tells the powerful story behind @TexasFootball's @MichaelTaaffe4 reason for wearing the number 16 in honor of his best friend Jackson Coker ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/kyYOXQiWaF
— Big Noon Kickoff (@BNKonFOX) September 7, 2024

P.S. — Well look who was at The Big House supporting their Horns!

In The Big House with @hof98 for the game today. pic.twitter.com/us1amx3iJ3
— Vic Schaefer (@CoachVic_UT) September 7, 2024

P.S. — And Men's Hoops cheering us on from Austin, All For One!

Loved having our guys over to my house to watch a big-time ROAD WIN in a big-time atmosphere! Congrats @CoachSark & @texasfootball 🤘🏾 pic.twitter.com/lC554fLV3s
— Rodney Terry (@RodneyTerry) September 7, 2024

P.S. — Mark your calendars!

see y'all at the showdown 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/9eCfnPLNGp
— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) September 5, 2024

P.S. — We see ya ladies, thanks for supporting your Horns!

longhorn legends back at home 🫶🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/P31QNMrQ6W
— Texas Volleyball (@TexasVolleyball) September 6, 2024

P.S. — Our guy X certainly got things his NFL career off to a great start last Thursday!

What a debut for Xavier Worthy 😤@XavierWorthy x #TexasMade pic.twitter.com/jxtsGESLo2
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 6, 2024

P.S. — More Longhorns supporting Longhorns!

Bringing the Texas heat to ATL 🤟 pic.twitter.com/1KfFONyH4H
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) September 8, 2024

P.S. — Rest in Peace, Coach Graham.

College Baseball Legend. Lifetime Longhorn.

Rest in Peace, Coach Graham. pic.twitter.com/8v6zRyEUVo
— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) September 4, 2024

HEADLINES:

SEC Network's "True South Presented by YellaWood" rolls into Austin on Tuesday, Sept. 10

No. 2/3 Football's Mukuba claims Paycom Jim Thorpe Award National Defensive Back of the Week

No. 2/3 Football's Ewers, Helm recognized by Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award

No. 2/3 Football's Ewers named Maxwell Award Player of the Week

No. 2/3 Football's Majors tabbed Outland Trophy National Player of the Week

No. 2/3 Football's Helm named East-West Shrine Bowl's "Texas Star of the Week"

Video: Steve Sarkisian press conference (Sept. 9)

Video: Michael Taaffe – 16 is for Jackson (FOX)

No. 2/3 Football's Ewers hauls in weekly honors from Davey O'Brien, Manning Awards

No. 2/3 Football's Ewers, Majors earn SEC weekly honors

Video: Steve Sarkisian postgame press conference (Sept. 7)