Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian thinks the bye week was beneficial for his program.

After eight consecutive games, Sarkisian said on Monday that some of his fatigued players needed to rest. The bye week also allowed some of Texas’ younger players to get quality reps, he said.

Sarkisian and the rest of the coaching staff got the opportunity to internally self-assess what they have been doing schematically this season, looking at what has been working and what has not.

“There’s some times where you go into a season and you think you’re going to be really good at a scheme or personnel grouping,” Sarkisian said. “(When) it plays out that way, you go ‘Alright, good.’ There’s other times where you’re not getting the reward back on the investment, and now you’ve got to shift gears a little bit.”

With no game to play this past Saturday, Sarkisian said he watched Kansas State play Oklahoma State with his son. The Wildcats, whom the Longhorns play next, defeated Oklahoma State 48-0.

No. 13 Kansas State’s emphatic win will likely command Texas’ full attention, especially after Oklahoma State handed Texas its third loss of the season right before the bye week.

“We already knew (Kansas State) was a good football team,” Sarkisian said. “I think they went out and showed it. One thing that was very impressive was that they capitalized on the opportunities they got in the game.”

The efforts of junior running back Deuce Vaughn helped Kansas State post such a lopsided victory. Vaughn, who rushed for 158 yards in the win, provides the Wildcats a versatile offensive weapon that has given Big 12 defenses fits for three seasons now.

Listed at 5-feet-6-inches, Vaughn has a strong combination of balance and speed. With more than 1,000 all-purpose yards this season, Texas will have his number circled in its preparation. 

“He’s a guy you have definitely to be aware of,” Sarkisian said. “(You) need to know where No. 22 is at all times.”

Senior quarterback Adrian Martinez’s status for the game against Texas is not yet known. Injured early in the game against TCU on Oct. 22, the Nebraska transfer is reported to be day-to-day. 

Martinez provides the Wildcats a running threat at the quarterback position, despite not possessing the most prolific passing stats this season. Through his six full games and one series against TCU, Martinez has racked up 565 yards as a rusher.

Taking over the quarterback duties in Martinez’s absence, junior quarterback Will Howard has stepped up impressively thus far. Howard has thrown for 521 yards and six touchdowns through two games in relief.

With both quarterbacks bringing different abilities to the gridiron, Texas’ coaching staff has a lot to gameplan. Sarkisian said that having two weeks between games has been helpful in that regard.

“They’re both good players,” Sarkisian said. “They could both be healthy and they both could play, we don’t know. We have to be ready for both.”