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.
asserted
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.
asserted
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.
asserted
he → understand → that
The Aporia
