Texas athletic director clarifies artificial intelligence report after fans panic

Texas fans panicked following reports that head coach Steve Sarkisian used a new artificial intelligence platform called Bevo Lab to call a fourth-down play against Florida, Fox News reported. The University of Texas athletic department announced the launch of the campus AI lab on Friday, according to Fox News. [1]

The concern from fans follows back-to-back losses to unranked teams by the Longhorns, Fox News reported. CBS Sports added that the consecutive losses dropped Texas to number 19 in the polls, pushing the team into survival mode for the College Football Playoff ahead of a matchup against seventh-ranked Ole Miss. [1][4]

Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte addressed the pressure on the program, calling the overall state of the program phenomenal, according to CBS Sports. Sarkisian leads the program in his sixth year as head coach and offensive play-caller, while the team plays its home games at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. [4][10]

The Longhorns previously fell to Florida by a score of 27-24 in Austin, as FTMQ News reported earlier. Questions have continued to surround quarterback Arch Manning during the team's two-game losing streak, CBS Sports reported. [3][13]

Texas faces Ole Miss on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time, CBS Sports reported. A third straight loss would effectively end the Playoff hopes for Texas, according to CBS Sports. [2]