Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-12 · by Jim Vertuno The Associated Press
Texas's special teams have experienced significant issues recently, contributing to critical losses and poor performances in recent games against Oklahoma and Tennessee. These problems include blocked punts, missed field goals, kickoff mistakes, and fumbles on returns. Despite these setbacks, head coach Steve Sarkisian maintains faith in his current setup and does not plan major changes, citing historical success under special teams coordinator Jeff Banks. However, the failures have put pressure on the team as they drop to No. 7 nationally after being unranked for much of the season due to their recent string of mishaps.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-12,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Special teams have become a problem for no-longer-top-ranked Texas.
asserted
teams → become → Texas
In the last two weeks, the punt team has given up critical touchdowns with a long return and a blocked kick in the end zone.
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team → give → zone
Kickoffs have flown out of bounds.
asserted
Kickoffs → fly → bounds
Return teams have made critical penalties and fumbled away an onside kick.
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teams → make → kick
Yet after Saturday’s 27-24 loss to Oklahoma that was punctuated by special teams breakdowns and dropped the Longhorns to No. 7 in the AP Top 25
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that → punctuate → Top
, coach Steve Sarkisian said he has no plans to make major changes or take any duties away from special teams coordinator Jeff Banks.
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he → say → Banks
“History’s the best indicator of the future.
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History → ’ → future
We’ve been good on special teams for quite some time around here,” Sarkisian said Monday.
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Sarkisian → say → time
“I have a lot of faith in coach Banks and his schemes and a lot of faith in our players to get that done.
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that → have → players
“Sometimes you go through lulls like you do on offense or like you do on defense.
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you → go → defense
I don’t question our ability to coach our way out of that,” Sarkisian said.
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Sarkisian → question → that
Banks has been part of Sarkisian’s Texas staff since 2021, when he came with Sarkisian from Alabama.
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he → come → Alabama
Special teams was a bright spot with game-changing plays for Texas last year.
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teams → change → Texas
In 2025, Ryan Niblett averaged 22.67 yards on punt returns, including touchdowns in close wins over Oklahoma and Mississippi State.
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Niblett → average → Oklahoma
Another long return set up Texas’ only touchdown in a win over Kentucky.
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return → set → Kentucky
Niblett is averaging 8.61 yards per return through the first five games and nearly fumbled away a second-half punt against Ohio State.
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Niblett → average → State
Against Tennessee, his fair catch signal negated would have been a nifty misdirection play on a punt return.
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signal → negate → return
The punt team also gave up a return touchdown to the Volunteers — the first against Texas in 13 years — and fumbled away an onside kick in the final minute.
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team → give → minute
Texas didn’t have that win in hand until Tennessee’s final pass into the end zone fell incomplete.
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pass → have → zone
Against Oklahoma, Gianni Spetic’s opening kickoff went out of bounds.
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kickoff → go → bounds
The Sooners scored their first touchdown against Texas in three years on a blocked punt in the second quarter.
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Sooners → score → quarter
Spetic missed a 53-yard field-goal attempt late in the fourth quarter.
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Spetic → miss → quarter
The gaffes, missed kicks and missed blocks have kept opponents in games Texas might have otherwise comfortably put away.
uncertain
Texas → miss → games
Sarkisian is also getting scrutinized for his offense
Sarkisian has been questioned about more than special teams.
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Sarkisian → scrutinize → teams
He is also the offensive coordinator and play-caller, and the Longhorns have been struggling to the move the ball and score touchdowns the last few weeks.
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Longhorns → struggle → touchdowns
Arch Manning threw two fourth-quarter interceptions against Oklahoma.
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Manning → throw → Oklahoma
The first was returned for a touchdown and the second set up the game-winning field goal.
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second → return → goal
The Longhorns have 15 three-and-outs over the last two games.
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Longhorns → have → games
Texas rallied to beat Ohio State with 21 points in the fourth quarter back on Sept. 12, but the offense has sputtered since.
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offense → rally → Sept.
I think we’re close,” Sarkisian said.
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Sarkisian → think → ?
“Our job is to work our way through this lull that we’re in to be as explosive of an offense that we can be.”
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we → work → offense
The Longhorns rank 12th in the Southeastern Conference in total offense and rushing, and ninth in passing.
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Longhorns → rank → passing
Manning ranks seventh in the SEC in passing with 224.24 yards per game, with 10 touchdown passes and five interceptions.
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Manning → rank → passes
Sarkisian defended the quarterback who led a rally against Ohio State but made big mistakes late against Oklahoma.
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who → defend → Oklahoma
“I think if you took the name off the back of his jersey and you said, ‘Here’s Joe Smith playing quarterback at the University of Texas and here’s a guy who’s beaten four top-10 ranked teams in his last 13 starts
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who → think → starts
,’ we’d be praising the guy,” Sarkisian said.
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Sarkisian → praise → guy
“But the expectations are high for him, and he understands that.
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he → understand → that
The Aporia
