Less than a minute into the second quarter of the Red River Rivalry, everything flipped for the Texas Longhorns. After controlling the game by forcing five straight three and outs from the Oklahoma Sooners, and leading 7-0 thanks to a 41-yard touchdown pass from senior QB Arch Manning to junior WR Cam Coleman, the Longhorns got pinned deep in their own territory. They had to punt from their own 8-yard line, and that’s when Oklahoma defensive end Danny Okoye broke through the middle, blocking senior punter Mac Chiumento’s kick. Oklahoma cornerback Dakoda Fields recovered the ball right in the end zone, tying the game at 7-7.
The “Free Guy” and the Breakdown in Fundamentals
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said his team had seen the punt block look from Doug Deakins’ unit before. “Felt like we had a good protection,” Sarkisian stated. But it clearly didn’t hold. Sarkisian admitted he “couldn’t see exactly” from his vantage point, but it was obvious “they had a free guy coming.” That free guy was Okoye, and the breakdown came down to senior linebacker Justin Cryer. Cryer, who plays in the shield for Texas and has almost 300 special teams snaps from his time at Florida State, including 55 on punt coverage, made what’s called the “worst mistake a player can in that situation , allowing a player to come up the middle.” Cryer, who also handles coach-to-play communication on defense, took responsibility. “They loaded a side and we have to try to pick one of them,” he said. “One of them end up getting through. We’ll look at it, and we’ll fix what needs to be fixed.” He also felt he didn’t get much help from senior defensive end Colton Vasek, who anchors the shield’s center, despite Vasek’s 320 career special teams snaps.
“It Is What It Is”: The Mounting Pressure
Cryer admitted he probably expected more help. “Yeah, probably,” he said. “It is what it is. It shouldn’t have happened. Probably could have started over there. Obviously, I probably wish I’d moved myself over. As an older player, I gotta know that they loaded the entire side , as someone who’s been playing the game a lot, I couldn’t sell myself over.” This wasn’t just some random play. In a three-point loss, it was a total game-changer. And it’s not an isolated incident either. The Horns already gave up a punt return touchdown to the Volunteers just before their bye week. That’s a pattern, man! All this is piling a ton of pressure on special teams coordinator Jeff Banks. Coach Sarkisian, however, is standing by his guy for now, saying he hasn’t considered re-evaluating Banks’ responsibilities after Saturday’s loss.
This one’s gonna sting for the Longhorns. Losing the Red River Rivalry is always brutal, but doing it with a glaring special teams breakdown like that? With two major punt gaffes in recent weeks, you gotta wonder if Sarkisian can keep holding that line on Jeff Banks for much longer. Something’s gotta give there.
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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