The SEC has weighed in on Tennessee’s wild onside kick against Texas, and the conference says the play should have been flagged and run again.
The sequence came late, with 1:22 left, after Tennessee trimmed the deficit on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Faizon Brandon to Mike Matthews. Down by three and out of timeouts, the Vols needed a miracle just to stay alive.
Jackson Ross, Tennessee’s punter, handled the onside kick attempt. He shifted two players from one side to the other, then drop-kicked the ball to his right. Texas called a timeout just before the kick, and when the teams reset, Ross repeated the same motion before drop-kicking it to the left instead.
That version turned into the chaos Tennessee wanted. The ball bounced loose off Ryan Wingo’s hands, and Vols linebacker Arion Carter pounced on it to give Tennessee possession. The offense couldn’t turn that break into points, though, as the Vols failed to finish the drive with either a field goal to force overtime or a touchdown to win it.
Even so, Ross’ unusual onside kick drew plenty of attention online for the way it worked in the moment.
The SEC later released a statement saying the kick was illegally handled and should have been enforced differently.
“The onside kick with 1:22 to play in the Texas at Tennessee football game on Saturday was incorrectly officiated and should have resulted in a five-yard penalty on Tennessee and a replay of the down,” the statement read.
“A drop kick is permissible, but a free kick must be made from the kicking team’s restraining line which is the 35-yard line on a kickoff, unless relocated by penalty. The ball was at least one yard behind the 35-yard line when it was kicked.
“In addition, after the ball is ready for play the kicker may not change his lateral position between the hash marks. That spot can change only after a charged timeout or on a subsequent kick. The kicker’s movement after the ready signal violated the rule.
“The correct enforcement is a five-yard penalty and a replay of the down. The Southeastern Conference regrets the error and will continue working with the Secretary/Editor for NCAA Football Rules and officials to ensure consistent application of free-kick rules.”
The conference posted the statement through SEC Officiating on September 28, 2026.
In Other News...
Tennessee Texas Finish Just Got An Official Officiating Twist
The Southeastern Conference added an officiating wrinkle to Tennessees loss to Texas, saying the Volunteers drop-kick onside attempt was handled incorrectly. The league said the kick should have drawn a five-yard penalty and a replay of the down because it was taken from behind the required 35-yard line, a violation of free-kick rules.
Even so, the correction does not change the result of Texas 20-17 win over Tennessee. For the Volunteers, it leaves one more frustrating detail attached to a game already decided by a narrow margin, even if the official ruling stops short of altering the final scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
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Film analyst Brooks Austin pushed back on the idea that Brandon alone was responsible, pointing to a shaky run game and the lines problems up front as part of the picture. Josh Heupel sounded similarly measured, saying Brandon may have been sped up and stressing that the answer has to come from more than one player. For Tennessee, the uncomfortable part is that the debate is still open, and the film may only deepen it. [Read more 🡒]