Steve Sarkisian pushes back on Ole Miss fake punt narrative after Texas win

Texas held on to beat No. 7 Ole Miss 34-27 on Saturday, and the unit that nearly let the game get away followed Steve Sarkisian into his Monday press conference in Austin. He was asked about the persistent problems on Jeff Banks’ special teams, and his answer put the blame in one specific place.

The play that drew the most attention came in the second quarter with Texas up 24-3. Ole Miss punter Oscar Bird, an Australian who kicks rugby-style, took the snap on fourth down, saw open grass and ran for 17 yards to keep the drive going.

“Really, wasn’t a fake punt. It was a normal punt with a rugby punter that we didn’t set the edge. And so he’s like, ‘Well, let me just keep running,'” Sarkisian said.

The player responsible for that edge agreed with him. Sophomore defensive end Lance Jackson took the blame after the game and said he never heard the sideline warning that Bird could run. Sarkisian had already called it human error after the game, noting a punter run was always an option for Ole Miss.

Sarkisian was just as firm about the other special-teams moment that kept Ole Miss alive. Texas called a timeout before the Rebels’ late onside kick and flipped its alignment to put receiver Emmett Mosley V on the side the ball was headed. The kick bounced off the turf before it reached Mosley, Graceson Littleton could not secure it and Ole Miss recovered, giving Trinidad Chambliss one last shot that Jelani McDonald intercepted in the end zone.

“I still love Emmett Mosley in that position. I mean, he’s got the best hands on our team. He’s a confident guy. He’s an experienced guy. I love him in that position,” Sarkisian said.

The hands team has been under scrutiny since the Tennessee game, when Ryan Wingo could not recover an onside kick and the staff added freshman Jermaine Bishop to the unit. Sarkisian’s answer makes clear Mosley keeps his spot after one bad hop.

Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian was asked about the persistent special-teams issues on Jeff Banks’ unit. Sarkisian said the fake punt was not a designed fake. “Really, wasn’t a fake punt. It was a normal punt with a rugby punter that we didn’t set the edge. And so he’s like, “Well, let me just keep running.” In addition, Sarkisian said, “I still love Emmett Mosley in that position. I mean, he’s got the best hands on our team. He’s a confident guy. He’s an experienced guy. I love him in that position.” He pointed out the FG they blocked, but said they need to do the little things well.

— Anwar Richardson (@AnwarRichardson) October 26, 2026

Are the little things enough of an answer for Texas?

Sarkisian did credit the unit for Alex January’s block of a 58-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter, which came right after Arch Manning’s go-ahead touchdown run. Texas drove for a field goal on the ensuing possession and went up 10. He also said the unit has to do the little things well, and Saturday supplied a list of them.

Texas was flagged a season-high 14 times for 134 yards. Two of those came from freshman linebacker Kosi Okpala on kickoffs. His unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on a touchback to open the second half started Texas at its own 12, and that possession ended with Kam Franklin recovering a strip-sack in the end zone for Ole Miss’ first touchdown. His late hit out of bounds in the fourth quarter handed the Rebels a start near midfield.

Sarkisian has been making the same argument since the Oklahoma loss. “History’s the best indicator of the future,” he said on Oct. 12, while backing Banks and saying he had no plans for major changes.

Each of Saturday’s breakdowns traces back to a single player’s assignment. The trouble for Texas is that the season-long record is now long enough to be its own history. Against Tennessee, the Longhorns allowed a punt return touchdown, the first by an opponent in 13 years. Against Oklahoma, a blocked punt was recovered in the end zone. Against Ole Miss, the punter ran for a first down and the onside kick went the wrong way.

The post Steve Sarkisian pushes back on Ole Miss fake punt narrative after Texas win appeared first on Gridiron Heroics.