No. 1 Texas might be sitting pretty at 4-0 with a win already in the SEC, but if you watched their 20-17 nail-biter against Tennessee on September 26, you know their special teams are straight up not getting the job done. This team is undefeated, but through four games, they’re still waiting for that big punt or kickoff return to actually happen. And honestly, it’s getting kinda embarrassing.
The Longhorns’ Special Teams Blunders Are Piling Up
That Tennessee game in Knoxville was a nightmare for special teams, keeping the Volunteers in a game Texas should have had locked down way earlier. Seriously, where do you even start?
- Kicker Gianni Spetic, who did nail a clutch extra point against Ohio State, was dropping kickoffs that night. He averaged 61.8 yards on his five kicks, with one sailing out of bounds and only one hitting for a touchback. That’s not good enough for a top team.
- Then there was the 57-yard punt return for a touchdown Texas gave up. A UT opponent hadn’t scored off a punt return since way back in 2013! How do you let that happen?
- Freshman Jermaine Bishop Jr. actually had a long punt return of his own, but it got waved off because fellow returner Ryan Niblett signaled for a fair catch. C’mon, man!
- And in the final minutes, Tennessee recovered an onside kick. The SEC later admitted Tennessee should’ve been penalized for how they set it up, but that doesn’t erase the fact that Texas receiver Ryan Wingo had a clear shot to land on the ball and just couldn’t do it. Wingo himself put it plain: “I messed up, (but the defense) came out there and got a stop.” Thank goodness for that D, huh?
Sarkisian Wants Depth, But Do They Have Time?
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian used last week’s bye to address the special teams issues, but it sounds like he’s more worried about the big picture than just big plays. He wasn’t stressing the lack of a highlight-reel return or a huge kick, which is kind of surprising. Instead, Sarkisian said the biggest thing they need is “more depth.” He wants other guys to “take some of the heat off these guys on punt, punt return, kickoff coverage.”
Right now, defensive starters like Kade Phillips, Graceson Littleton, Justin Cryer, and Rasheem Biles are all logging at least 30 special teams snaps through four games. You gotta wonder if that’s impacting their defensive play. Sarkisian pretty much spelled it out: “We need the depth to step up. I think that’s where we need to place an emphasis on (is) who can we count on to be in those positions to play on special teams to take the load off of those guys so that they can keep being the players that they are on defense.” It’s a valid point, but are they gonna find that depth mid-season?
The Longhorns are heading into the Red River Rivalry this Saturday against Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1 SEC) in Dallas at 2:30 p.m. on ABC. If there’s any game to break out of this special teams funk, it’s this one. Historically, Texas has made big plays on special teams against OU. They’re gonna need every single one of them if they want to keep that No. 1 ranking and undefeated record intact, because right now, their special teams unit is a major liability.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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