SEC Morning Report — Sunday, October 25, 2026

Lead Story: Texas Outlasts No. 7 Ole Miss, 34-27, in Spite of Itself on Special Teams

No. 19 Texas beat No. 7 Ole Miss 34-27 in Austin on Saturday, but the third phase nearly gave the game away. The Rebels converted a fake punt — an Australian-style rugby punt that turned into a 17-yard run by punter Oscar Bird when Texas failed to set the edge — and later recovered an onside kick after the ball took a big hop past Emmett Mosley V and bounced off the normally sure-handed Graceson Littleton. Head coach Steve Sarkisian chalked both up to the same culprit. "That's human error," Sarkisian said. "We didn't set the edge on a punt return and we didn't field the ball on an onside kick."

The Texas defense repeatedly cleaned up the mess. Senior linebacker Rasheem Biles intercepted a pass at the goal line to effectively end the first half, and senior safety Jelani McDonald picked off the Rebels' Hail Mary to close out the game. The signature special teams moment actually went the Longhorns' way: junior defensive tackle Alex January told Hero Kanu he would "get skinny" through the protection, then blocked a 58-yard field goal attempt, setting up a Texas field goal that pushed the lead back to 10 after Arch Manning's one-yard touchdown run.

There were quieter positives, too. Ryan Niblett returned three punts for 25 yards, kicker Gianni Spetic limited Ole Miss to a single late kickoff return, and punter Mac Chiumento averaged 48.4 yards per punt in his best outing of the season. Still, two penalties by freshman linebacker Kosi Okpala — an unsportsmanlike conduct call on a touchback and a late hit out of bounds on a 23-yard return — handed the Rebels field position all night. Texas doesn't need a magic wand; it needs eleven clean snaps in the kicking game.

Quick Hits

• Texas injury news is grim. Senior left tackle Trevor Goosby was carted off in the first quarter with a left knee injury and finished the night on crutches, while junior wide receiver Cam Coleman exited with a shoulder injury after the first play of the third quarter and did not return. "Obviously, neither of them look very good," Sarkisian said. The Longhorns were already without Colin Simmons and Hollywood Smothers, and freshman running back Derrek Cooper was limited to a handful of snaps after being "banged up and sick" during the week.
• Unbeaten watch, per ESPN: Devon Dampier ran for 150 yards and two touchdowns as No. 10 Utah held off No. 14 Houston 21-13 on Saturday night, keeping the Utes among the sport's dwindling undefeated teams — context that matters for SEC contenders jockeying for playoff positioning.
• Alabama women's golf sits sixth through two rounds of the Landfall Tradition at the Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington, N.C., carding a 36-hole total of 16-over-par 592 (288-304).
• Oklahoma men's golf closes its fall schedule at the Ka'anapali Classic, teeing off Sunday at the Royal Ka'anapali Course in Lahaina, Hawai'i, where the Sooners are chasing a fifth straight title at the 54-hole event.

Portal Watch

A quiet 12 hours on the transfer front — no new portal entries or commitments to report. With the season in full swing, expect movement to stay minimal until the calendar forces the issue.

Recruiting Buzz

No new commitments came in overnight. The recruiting trail takes a back seat on fall Saturdays, but official visitors were on campuses across the conference for a loaded Week 9 slate, so keep an eye on this space in the coming days.

Games to Watch

No SEC football games are scheduled today — Sunday belongs to the film room after Saturday's results, headlined by Texas 34, Ole Miss 27. The competitive action shifts to the links, where Oklahoma men's golf opens the Ka'anapali Classic in Hawai'i. Football returns next weekend as teams enter the November stretch run.