AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Special teams have become a problem for no-longer-top-ranked 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. Kickoffs have flown out of bounds. Return teams have made critical penalties and fumbled away an onside 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, coach Steve Sarkisian said he has no plans to make major changes or take any duties away from special teams coordinator Jeff Banks.
“History's the best indicator of the future. We've been good on special teams for quite some time around here,” Sarkisian said Monday. “I have a lot of faith in coach Banks and his schemes and a lot of faith in our players to get that done.
“Sometimes you go through lulls like you do on offense or like you do on defense. I don't question our ability to coach our way out of that,” Sarkisian said.
Banks has been part of Sarkisian's Texas staff since 2021, when he came with Sarkisian from Alabama.
Special teams was a bright spot with game-changing plays for Texas last year.
In 2025, Ryan Niblett averaged 22.67 yards on punt returns, including touchdowns in close wins over Oklahoma and Mississippi State. Another long return set up Texas' only touchdown in a win over Kentucky.
This season has been a different story.
Niblett is averaging 8.61 yards per return through the first five games and nearly fumbled away a second-half punt against Ohio State. Against Tennessee, his fair catch signal negated would have been a nifty misdirection play on a punt 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. Texas didn't have that win in hand until Tennessee's final pass into the end zone fell incomplete.
Against Oklahoma, Gianni Spetic's opening kickoff went out of bounds. The Sooners scored their first touchdown against Texas in three years on a blocked punt in the second quarter. Spetic missed a 53-yard field-goal attempt late in the fourth quarter.
The gaffes, missed kicks and missed blocks have kept opponents in games Texas might have otherwise comfortably put away.
Sarkisian has been questioned about more than special 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.
Arch Manning threw two fourth-quarter interceptions against Oklahoma. The first was returned for a touchdown and the second set up the game-winning field goal.
The Longhorns have 15 three-and-outs over the last two games. Texas rallied to beat Ohio State with 21 points in the fourth quarter back on Sept. 12, but the offense has sputtered since.
“Clearly we've been just a little bit off. I think we're close,” Sarkisian said. “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.”
The Longhorns rank 12th in the Southeastern Conference in total offense and rushing, and ninth in passing.
Manning ranks seventh in the SEC in passing with 224.24 yards per game, with 10 touchdown passes and five interceptions. His 63% completion rate is the second-lowest among the league's top 10 passers.
“At the end of the day, we should be a more explosive football team,” Sarkisian said.
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