After committing only four penalties in Week 1, the then-No.4 Texas Longhornscut that number in half against the then-No.1 Ohio Stat Buckeyes, committing just two penalties for 12 yards in their 24-23 comeback win.
After ranking 134th in the country in average penalties per game with a whooping 8.3 per game for 69.7 yards, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian preached about the need to clean up the mistakes this season.
“We had two penalties for 12 yards Saturday night, and we’ve been in these games before
when it’s been eight penalties for 98 yards, right? And the impact that those penalties can have, and so I was proud of our team for that, too. That we’re playing a more disciplined brand of football right now, and so that was encouraging as well,” Sarkisian said on Monday.
So far, the results are hard to argue with.
Texas has now been flagged just six times for 47 yards, averaging three penalties for 23.5 yards per game. Against the Bobcats in the season opener, the performance suggested that improvement was possible. Following it up with an even better performance should invoke optimism from Texas fans.
For context, Texas had 17 penalties for 165 yards through two games in 2025. Currently, the Longhorns are tied for third in the FBS in total penalties and tied for fourth with an average of 23.5 penalty yards per game.
Quite the turnaround.
While the national rankings are notable, the performance this past weekend was historic for the Sarkisian era. Committing just two infractions for 12 yards ties the record for lowest number of infractions during a game in Sarkisian’s 70 games on the Forty Acres, something that was last achieved during the regular season on November 16th, 2024 against Arkansas.
Considering it occurred against a premier opponent is even more encouraging given the physicality and stakes of the matchup.
The two penalties were a false start on wide receiver Ryan Wingo and a spot foul pass interference on cornerback Kade Phillips.
The false start on Wingo occurred during the final offensive series of the first half. Facing third and 10, Wingo jumped before the snap to create 3rd and 15. His penalty took things from bad to worse.
And, it was yet another pre snap infraction on the offense after two similar penalties last week.
The pass interference against Phillips came at a crucial moment. The Longhorns had cut the lead to 23-17 and the Buckeyes were finally driving. With the ball near midfield, Ohio State quarterback Sayin looked to his tight end on a short crossing route.
While the ball was in the air, Phillips had his back turned to Sayin and his hands all over the intended pass catcher, an easy call for the referees.
This is the second consecutive week Phillips has been flagged for pass interference, a trend the young defensive back will need to overcome before it becomes a mental hurdle moving forward — the uber-talented corner is a key piece of the Longhorn secondary this season.
For a team that spent the offseason emphasizing discipline, this is exactly the type of progress Sarkisian was looking for.
The sample size is small, but the improvement is monumental.
We’ll check back in on penalties next week after the Longhorns face the UTSA Roadrunners at 7:00 p.m. Central.
