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Texas expects Derrek Cooper back for UTSA after he was hurt early against Texas State and missed Ohio State. Steve Sarkisian does not expect Nick Townsend to play Saturday. Other players have unspecified bumps and bruises, making depth more important; these are the coach's Thursday expectations, not a final availability report.
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Sarkisian wants Texas to rotate more players earlier against UTSA on both sides of the ball. The Ohio State deficit limited substitutions, and backups must earn trust through practice, assignment knowledge and effort. This is an intended expansion of the rotation, without named new starters or promised snap counts.
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Texas has restored a heavier goal-line package after reviewing its recent short-yardage approach. Sarkisian said the change goes beyond using six offensive linemen; Jordan Coleman's movement and ability to displace defenders in tight spaces earned him a role. No permanent base-offense change or fixed package frequency was announced.
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Texas is emphasizing ball security, third-down defense and faster starts this week. Sarkisian attributed Raleek Brown's fumble and Ryan Wingo's drop to correctable technique and wants trusted players involved again quickly after mistakes, rather than letting confidence erode. He did not announce reduced roles for either player.
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Texas coach Johnny Nansen missed Thursday's practice, and Sarkisian had not decided whether he would coach against UTSA while gathering information about the off-field incident. His game-day availability and any replacement responsibilities remained unresolved at this interview.