After Oklahoma’s blocked punt in the end zone turned into a touchdown and handed Texas its first loss of the season, Steve Sarkisian was asked straight up whether he would rethink Jeff Banks’ place as special teams coordinator.
His answer came without hesitation.
“No.”
That confidence in Banks has not changed, even as Texas keeps stepping on its own feet in the kicking game. The Longhorns’ special teams issues didn’t begin in the Oklahoma game. Two weeks earlier, junior wide receiver Ryan Wingo failed to recover an onside kick against Tennessee.
And more recently, the problems surfaced again. In the win over Ole Miss, Texas could not finish the game cleanly in the fourth quarter after failing to recover another onside kick - the second time that has happened this season. The Longhorns also gave up a fake punt, which gave Ole Miss fresh downs and a new burst of offense.
Those breakdowns nearly cost Texas again, just as the Tennessee mistake had before. Special teams miscues happen in football, but for Texas they have become a recurring part of the weekly script, sometimes more than once in the same game.
Still, Sarkisian has continued to stand by Banks, who is the highest-paid special teams coach in college football at $1.2 million.
“The other night was funky,” Sarkisian said of the Ole Miss mistakes Saturday night, putting much of the blame on human error.
On the fake punt, he said it was not something Ole Miss had drawn up ahead of time. According to Sarkisian, the Rebels’ punter noticed sophomore defensive end Lance Jackson jogging to get into position for a block and decided to keep the ball and run. Sarkisian pointed to a failure to “set the edge” as the issue.
The onside kick was a different kind of miss, in his view. The ball ricocheted off junior wide receiver Emmett Mosley V and into the hands of sophomore defensive back Graceson Littleton, but neither player secured it. Sarkisian said the design was sound, but the execution wasn’t there.
“We’re all human,” Sarkisian said. “Sometimes, we trip (while) walking down the (sidewalk).
… We’re going to practice it more to build more confidence in that role. … We felt good about it (but) we didn’t make the play.”
He did not get into any schematic changes, but said there had been progress during the week in helping players feel more confident handling the small details that decide these high-pressure situations. He also said there is a growing chance for Texas to create explosive plays on special teams.
For now, though, the mistakes remain a real headache. With the final stretch of the regular season coming up, Banks’ unit has to tighten things up if Texas wants fans to trust it the way Sarkisian clearly does.
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There is some relief on the other side of the availability report, with running back Hollywood Smothers and wide receiver Cam Coleman removed from the injury list and expected to play. Mississippi State, meanwhile, will be missing starting quarterback Kamario Taylor and wide receiver Ayden Williams, so the matchup still comes with some notable absences for both teams as kickoff approaches. [Read more 🡒]
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Texas Playoff Push Now Hinges On An Unlikely Offensive Lifeline
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Raleek Browns 157 rushing yards gave Texas the kind of ground production it needed in a tight SEC-style game, while Michael Terry added 41 yards and a touchdown to keep the pressure on Ole Miss. Even with the win, the Longhorns now have to figure out how much of this offensive success can travel forward if Goosby is out for good and Cojoe remains the answer on the edge. [Read more 🡒]