Will Muschamp, it’s good to have you back.

For most of the Texas Longhorns' season opener, the troubling Texas State offense could not produce. Will Muschamp and the Texas defense kept a No. 5-ranked team in total offense that averaged around 470 yards per game to just seven points and 349 yards.

But the effect wasn’t just felt on the defensive side of the ball. With Muschamp taking care of the defense, Sarkisian had more time to work on what he does best: orchestrating an elite Texas offense.

Steve Sarkisian Only Has to Worry About One Headset

As a play-calling head coach, Sarkisian often balances his focus between both sides of the ball. For much of his first five seasons at Texas, that meant keeping tabs on the defensive headset while simultaneously diagnosing what opposing defenses were throwing at his offense.

Enter Muschamp, and Sarkisian gets to drop a few balls from his juggling act.

“I can tell you already today. I was less on the defensive headset than I've been in the previous five years,” Sarkisian said after the game. “It allowed me to stay on the offensive headset…. I think that helped in our adjustments on the offensive side of the ball too.”

In Muschamp's first game back on the Forty Acres, Texas forced three turnovers, recorded eight tackles for loss and brought down Bobcats quarterback Brad Jackson twice. 

The defense even provided some points of its own after Rasheem Biles forced the ball loose, leading to a Graceson Littleton scoop-and-score.

While that’s not to say Muschamp’s defense was perfect, as the Longhorns occasionally allowed creases and gave Texas State opportunities to capitalize on busted coverages. But even when the Bobcats managed the occasional gash, their three red-zone trips produced just one touchdown, with two missed field goals leaving them with seven points.

For one of the most prolific play-callers in college football, that type of defensive independence could prove crucial.

Instead of listening to Muschamp make his calls, Sarkisian gets to free up some of that bandwidth and focus on what he learned from the previous possession. 

That gives him more time to dissect defenses with his staff, talk through looks with Manning and begin planning for the next possession before the ball changes hands.

Steve Sarkisian's Trust in Will Muschamp is Already Paying Off

When Sarkisian does need to key in on the defense, Muschamp will grab him.

“(Muschamp) said, ‘Sark, we need a timeout.’ When they came out in the little weird formation, they shifted out, and I trust him,” Sarkisian said. “If he said we needed a timeout, we needed a timeout in that moment because we weren't quite ready to be aligned to it all. And so, there's a real level of trust.”

Coming out of that timeout early in the second quarter, Hero Kanu would get a tackle for loss on third down, and the Bobcats would go on to miss their first field goal attempt.

That trust becomes vital as the stakes rise.

Against Texas State, less to handle doesn’t quite amount to much. Texas steamrolled the Bobcats in the way many expected.

But against bigger fish, an extra conversation with Manning, another chance to diagnose coverage or a few more minutes to script the next drive could be the difference between a stalled drive and seven points.

Muschamp was brought back to take control of this Texas defense. One game back, and he may already be giving Sarkisian a bit more control of his offense.

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