"Communicate": $160 million worth Matthew McConaughey sends clear message to Steve Sarkisian's Texas ahead of Sugar Bowl
Matthew McConaughey is one of the Texas Longhorns' biggest fans. The actor, who has a net worth of $160 million, went to the University of Texas and is always at the big events for its football program.
Tonight is another one of these events, as the CFP semifinal knocks on the door. After a strong season, the No. 3 Longhorns (12-1) face the No. 2 Washington Huskies (13-0) in the Sugar Bowl. The winner of this game will play in the national championship game in Houston next week.
In the build-up to the showdown, McConaughey sent a video message to the Longhorns and coach Steve Sarkisian from his X account.
"We play big games well. Good. We better," McConaughey said in the clip. "We got a big offense coming in here. Secondary is going to be tested all day. D-line, do you what you've done all year and then some. Communicate."
McConaughey's message to the Longhorns is simple: The defense needs to communicate with each other to stop Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. from scoring touchdowns, something he has been doing all season.
The "Interstellar" actor predicted Penix would pose a challenge for the Longhorns secondary. To combat this, he felt the defensive line needed to step up, communicate with each other and find ways to prevent the Huskies from moving the ball down the field.
Steve Sarkisian's defensive line
In the build-up to the Sugar Bowl, Huskies quarterback Michael Penix commented on the Longhorns’ defensive line. Penix said that while the Longhorns’ line was “good,” they were not at the level of the 49ers or Eagles.
This season, the Longhorns defensive line has had some success, recording 32 sacks for a loss of 220 yards.
The star players on this Texas defensive line are TyVonde Sweat and Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year Bryon Murphy II.
Linebacker Jaylan Ford, who recorded 91 tackles this season, and defensive end Ethan Burke, who leads the Longhorns with 5.5 sacks this season, have also played their part.