Texas AD urges fans not to turn on Sarkisian
Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte urged Texas fans on Wednesday not to “splinter or pull apart” but rather support first-year football coach Steve Sarkisian and the players during the program’s worst losing streak in 65 years.
“I know we’re all really disappointed, and there’s a lot being said, but this is not a time to splinter or pull apart in any way. We need to stay positive and remain united as a Longhorn Family,” Del Conte wrote in his weekly message.
“We know there are better days ahead, and I know y’all will continue to be the wind beneath our wings to help lead us there,” Del Conte wrote.
Texas, which began the season ranked No. 21, has lost five straight. That includes last week’s 57-56 overtime loss to Kansas, which hadn’t won on the road in the Big 12 since 2008, a streak of 56 games.
Texas’ skid is the program’s worst since a 1-9 season in 1956. The Longhorns must win their final two games against West Virginia and Kansas State to become eligible for a bowl.
Del Conte wrote more than 700 words defending Sarkisian, his staff and the players. The message noted the high rate of attrition from highly ranked recruiting classes in 2018 and 2019; a flu outbreak that kept more than 25 players out of practice part of last week; and season-ending injuries to tailback Bijan Robinson and defensive back Josh Thompson.
“This isn’t to cast any blame or make excuses; it’s just factual that we have some real depth issues,” Del Conte wrote.
He also strongly suggested that Sarkisian won’t be asked to make changes to his staff in the offseason. Sarkisian is in the first year of a six-year guaranteed contract that’s worth about $34 million.
“We have a group of coaches who are proven and have a wealth of experience. They have all succeeded at the highest level. They will help us do that here, too. The guys are fighting their butts off on the field, and we have a really good group of studentathletes giving it all they have,” Del Conte wrote.
Sarkisian, a former head coach at Washington and USC, was the offensive coordinator the previous two seasons at Alabama and won the 2020 national championship with the Crimson Tide.
He moved to Austin after Texas fired Tom Herman after four winning seasons and four bowl wins but no Big 12 championships.
• Virginia Tech and football coach Justin Fuente agreed to part ways with two games left in his sixth season with the Hokies.
In a statement, athletic director Whit Babcock said co-defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator J,C. Price will lead the Hokies through their final two regular season games.
Fuente was 43-31 at the Blacksburg, Va., school. The Hokies (5-5) travel to Miami on Saturday and close the season at Virginia.
Muguruza, Kontaveit to clash in WTA Finals
Garbiñe Muguruza dominated Paula Badosa in a 6-3, 6-3 victory and will play against Anett Kontaveit for the WTA Finals title in suburban Guadalajara, Mexico.
Eighth-seeded Kontaveit beat Maria Sakkari 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to advance, ensuring two first-time finalists at the women’s season-ending championship.
• Defending champion Daniil Medvedev clinched his place in the ATP Finals semifinals after beating 2018 champ Alexander Zverev to make it two wins out of two in Turin, Italy.
Late entrant Jannik Sinner could join him after storming past Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets in the evening match, just hours after replacing Italian compatriot Matteo Berrettini in the tournament.
Medvedev, who won the U.S. Open in September for his first Grand Slam title, took just more than 21/2 hours to beat Zverev 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (6) and move level with the German on a tour-leading 56 wins after a tense tiebreaker in the decisive set.
Medvedev leads Red Group and was assured of his place in the final four after Berrettini pulled out of the tournament.
Medvedev will face Sinner in the final group match and despite having played a match less than his rivals, the young Italian can still reach the final four. Sinner, 20, showed no signs of nerves as he won 6-2, 6-2.
Dutch qualify for World Cup with win
The Netherlands qualified for next year’s World Cup on its second attempt by beating Norway 2-0 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Turkey qualified for the playoffs by beating Montenegro 2-1 in Podgorica.
In Group D, second-half goals from midfielder Oleksandr Zinchenko and forward Artem Dovbyk gave Ukraine a 2-0 win at Bosnia and Herzegovina and sent it to the World Cup playoffs in second place behind runway group winner France.
In Group E, Wales secured a seeded spot in the World Cup playoffs by holding visiting Belgium to a 1-1 draw after rallying from a goal down in their final qualifier in Group E.
Wales was guaranteed a playoff spot in March before kickoff through its Nations League results and the draw guaranteed that Rob Page’s players will get a home draw in the playoff semifinals in March.
Unbeaten in the group, Belgium secured the top spot and direct qualification last weekend.
• Cyle Larin scored late in the first half and early in the second, then celebrated in front of a snow bank in leading Canada over Mexico 2-1 in a chilly World Cup qualifier played at what was dubbed “Iceteca Stadium” in Edmonton. Jesús Gallardo headed in a 90th-minute goal for Mexico.