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LEAD STORY: Texas Special Teams Under the Microscope After Close Win at Tennessee
The Texas Longhorns won 20-17 at Neyland Stadium on Saturday. Even so, the third phase is what people are talking about in Austin this week. Texas is using its bye week to fix a special teams unit that almost let Tennessee back into the game. The Longhorns' special teams actually climbed from No. 25 to No. 22 in ESPN's SP+ rankings after the win. However, the tape showed problems on kickoffs, punt coverage and the return game.
The biggest mistake came early in the third quarter. Qua Moss took a punt back 57 yards for a touchdown that tied the game at 10-10. It was the first punt return touchdown Texas has allowed since 2013. The Texas head coach said the problem started with the punt itself. "We're a directional punt team," he said. "Well, the long punt return for the touchdown, we punt the ball right down the middle of the field. That's not ideal when you're trying to cover punts." Kickoffs were also a concern. Senior Gianni Spetic had a 77.2 percent touchback rate through Texas' first three games, but only one of his five kickoffs (20 percent) went for a touchback at Tennessee. The most costly one came after Texas scored to take a 20-10 lead with 5:41 left. Spetic kicked the ball out of bounds, and Tennessee started at its own 35. The Texas defense bailed him out by forcing a turnover on downs.
The return game was also uneven. Ryan Niblett returned four punts for 57 yards, but a signaled fair catch wiped out a 25-yard return by freshman wideout Jermaine Bishop. The ball was placed at the Texas 32 instead of in Tennessee territory. The bigger long-term issue is depth. Senior linebackers Justin Cryer and Rasheem Biles logged 12 and 11 special teams snaps, respectively, including seven each on punt coverage. That came even though Biles and Jelani McDonald played every defensive snap and Cryer missed only one. "We need other guys taking some of the heat off these guys," the Texas head coach said. That puts backups and young players on notice to earn special teams roles during the bye week. Cryer also appeared on ESPN's Paul Finebaum Show to discuss how the top-ranked Longhorns' defense has been so effective and how the team handles outside noise.
QUICK HITS
- Florida baseball's prospect pipeline: D1Baseball placed five Gators among its top-100 college prospects for the 2027 MLB Draft. Florida is the only school with four players in the top 32.
- Alabama golf: Freshman Bailey Sutter was named SEC Freshman of the Week. He earned his first top-10 finish as the Crimson Tide won the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational as a team.
- More SEC golf honors: LSU's Ryleigh Knaub and Raegan Denton earned SEC golf honors. Collins Trolio was named Co-SEC Men's Golfer of the Week after shooting a career-low 205 (-8) over 54 holes at the Bryan Bros Collegiate.
- Oklahoma women's basketball: The Sooners hired a former WNBA head coach and WNBA Coach of the Year finalist as associate head coach, pending approval from OU's Board of Regents, ahead of the 2026-27 season. Vanderbilt women's basketball also held its preseason media session Wednesday.
- SEC alumni in the NFL: Former Tennessee defensive lineman Bryson Eason made his NFL debut in Week 3. Fellow former Vols Joshua Josephs and Alontae Taylor had notable defensive games. Mizzou also released its Week 3 update on former Tigers in the NFL.
PORTAL WATCH
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RECRUITING BUZZ
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GAMES TO WATCH
No SEC games are scheduled today, and Texas is off this week for its bye. The weekend's college football slate starts Thursday night on CBS Sports Network with Western Kentucky vs. New Mexico State. In SEC soccer, Georgia hosts a Friday match against a conference opponent.
