'Make every state your own.' Texas football relishes SEC road trips like win vs Missouri

Texas Longhorns defensive back Graceson Littleton (29) and Texas Longhorns linebacker Justin Cryer (28) defend Missouri Tigers wide receiver Cayden Lee (19) during the game against Missouri at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman) COLUMBIA, Mo. - The chatter started before Texas football even joined the SEC. The conference is too rugged, the league's old guard said. The road trips are too grueling. And the Longhorns, with their abundance of resources and Big 12 background, are just too soft.But as the team proved yet again in Saturday's 34-20 win at No. 18 Missouri, No. 7 Texas (7-2, 4-2 SEC) has the steel needed for a run at the College Football Playoff. The Longhorns improved to 7-2 in true SEC road games since joining the conference in 2024, a rate of success that must impress even the most ardent burnt-orange skeptic. "Our guys, they're not naive to noise," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said after Saturday's win. "As much as I would love to say, ‘Hey, tune it all out,' I could hear the talk getting on the plane (Friday). I could hear the talk when we got here. Nobody thought we were going to come here and win the game. Nobody thought we were tough enough at the line of scrimmage. Everyone thought we'd get pushed around."MORE:Texas football shows it can win tough road games - and play team ball - at Mizzou | Golden Texas Longhorns tight end Emaree Winston (85) jumps over Missouri Tigers safety Kensley Louidor-Faustin (7) as he carries the ball in the second quarter during the game against Missouri at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman) Steve Sarkisian: Pack defense, pack run game for road tripsUP NEXTNO. 7 TEXAS AT NO. 14 LSUWhen/where: 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Baton Rouge, La.TV/radio: ABC; 1300 AM, 98.1 FM, 105.3 FM.For the record, Texas entered the game as a 3½-point betting favorite. But Sarkisian's point holds water; Missouri (6-3, 3-3) entered the game with its own hopes of a CFP spot because of its dominance on both lines of scrimmage, and the Longhorns had lingering concerns about their own rushing attack as well as holding up against the run. But in a slugfest that felt much closer than the final score, Texas ran for 107 yards on 23 carries before taking away sacks yardage and held the SEC's leading rusher in Jamal Roberts to 66 yards on 19 carries."It's the old adage, right? When you go on the road, you want to pack a defense and you want to pack your run game," Sarkisian said. "We packed a few more things; we felt like we needed more than that. But those two ingredients always give you a chance."In the process, the Longhorns silenced a sold-out crowd at Memorial Stadium that craved a win over its former Big 12 tormentor."For me, I love playing on the road," Texas defensive end Lance Jackson said. "Sometimes I feel like I like playing on the road more than at home, just because, I mean everybody's against you. The whole stadium's against you, so it's really just a mindset thing coming in, trying to take it over. Make every state your own."Texas linebacker Justin Cryer, who had four solo tackles, agreed with his coach about having the right mindset when entering a hostile environment. But he's also a practical sort, befitting for a player who translates the play calls from the coaching staff to his teammates with the lone defensive helmet radio."Playing defense on the road from a communication standpoint is better just from the fact that you can hear each other," he said. "It's really that simple; there's no miscommunication with stuff."But (Sarkisian) said it right. Defense travels. Run game has to travel. Got to be able to bring those things on our road if we want to win games."MORE:Texas vs Missouri report card: Longhorns coaches get highest grade. Here's what was lowest Texas Longhorns running back Raleek Brown (0) advances the ball during the game against Missouri at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman) LB Rasheem Biles: Texas plenty tough enough to win at LSUThe stakes will rise even higher and the crowd will get even louder when Texas makes its first visit in 73 years Saturday to Baton Rouge, La., to face LSU. The Tigers (6-3, 3-3), desperate for a win after suffering Saturday's 31-13 home thumping by Alabama, hope a rowdy night crowd on the bayou can add enough fuel to keep their own CFP hopes burning.Texas starts the week as an early favorite, but Death Valley - a term of endearment for LSU's Tiger Stadium - has long served as arguably the SEC's most intimidating arena.But at this point, does anyone in the conference still think Texas lacks the toughness to leave with another road win?"I hope not," Texas linebacker Rasheem Biles said. "But if they do, then they're gonna find out every week that we are not soft. But I ain't really worried about somebody thinking I'm soft. Because trust me, I ain't soft."Sign up for the Daily Briefing from the Austin American-Statesman. Start your day with the must-read headlines from Austin's most trusted news source.This article originally published at 'Make every state your own.' Texas football relishes SEC road trips like win vs Missouri.