Why Steve Sarkisian Abruptly Ditched Live ESPN Interview During Texas’ Halftime Deficit
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Texas trailed No. 1 Ohio State 20-3 at halftime on Saturday night in Austin, a brutal score in a game the Longhorns desperately needed to win after losing to the Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff the past two seasons. Steve Sarkisian had to get his team right at the break, and that meant skipping his scheduled halftime interview with ESPN’s Laura Rutledge to get back to the locker room.
Texas did pull it off, scoring three unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter to win 24-23 in one of the wilder comebacks of the young season. But before any of that, there was an awkward live television moment that briefly became its own story.
Steve Sarkisian leaves Laura Rutledge waiting
The first half was a mess for Texas. Arch Manning completed just seven of 14 passes for 60 yards with an interception, Raleek Brown fumbled on the opening possession, and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin carved up the Longhorns defense to the tune of 192 yards and a touchdown in the first half. Ohio State outgained Texas 240 yards to 97 and went into the break up 17.
Sarkisian was supposed to give Rutledge a halftime interview on the way to the locker room, but ESPN had been dealing with technical issues that held him up longer than planned. When he finally had to go, he went, and Rutledge was left to explain it live on air.
“Alright, we actually just lost Sark because he had to go. I’m sorry about that, you guys. He waited for a long time. Credit to him for waiting. We’ll try to get him on the way out of the half,”Rutledge said during the live broadcast.
Rutledge’s response kept the moment from becoming a bigger distraction. She recognized that Sarkisian had waited for the interview, but she also understood why the coach had to leave. Texas needed answers more than it needed a television segment.
The 20-3 score placed Sarkisian under heavy pressure on national television. Texas had to fix its offensive rhythm, slow Ohio State’s attack, and give its players a clear plan for the second half.
Texas completes the comeback in style
Sarkisian’s team could not afford another slow stretch after halftime. The offense needed longer drives, better protection, and more consistent execution against a talented Ohio State defense. The Longhorns also had to limit the big plays that created the early gap.
Whatever Sarkisian said at halftime worked. Texas came out of the locker room and chipped away at the deficit across the third and fourth quarters, and Hollywood Smothers found the end zone with 25 seconds remaining to give the Longhorns a 24-23 win. It was the program’s third straight meeting with Ohio State and its first win in the series since before the College Football Playoff era.
The victory will do a lot to quiet the narrative that Sarkisian cannot win the big game. Texas is now 2-0 and, after the way the first half went, this one will be remembered for a while.
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