Texas football head coach Steve Sarkisian addressed concerns at his weekly news conference Monday following the Longhorns' 27-24 loss to Oklahoma. He discussed special teams performance, offensive struggles, and defended quarterback Arch Manning against criticism.
Where
Statewide
When
Monday, Oct. 12, 2026
Sources
Reported by 14 outlets
Taxes and money
None stated in sources.
Who's involved
Steve SarkisianHead coach, Texas football
Jeff BanksSpecial teams coordinator
Arch ManningQuarterback
The facts
Texas (4-1, 1-1 SEC) lost to Oklahoma 27-24 on Saturday in Red River Rivalry.23Stated by 2 sources
Texas ranks 12th in SEC offense with 379.2 yards per game.23Stated by 2 sources
Texas leads the SEC in three-and-outs and ranks second-to-last in explosive plays with 16 snaps of 20+ yards.23Stated by 2 sources
A blocked punt was recovered for a touchdown against Oklahoma.23Stated by 2 sources
Kicker Gianni Spetic sailed a kickoff out of bounds against Oklahoma.23Stated by 2 sources
Ryan Niblett ranks fifth in SEC kick-return average (14.8 yards) and seventh in punt returns (8.6 yards).23Stated by 2 sources
Sarkisian said he has no plans to remove responsibilities from special teams coach Jeff Banks.23Stated by 2 sources
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
Steve Sarkisian History is the best indicator of future special teams performance.23
Steve Sarkisian Offensive struggles start with me as play-caller.23
Steve Sarkisian If quarterback's name was Joe Smith, we would praise him for beating four top-10 teams.4
Steve Sarkisian There is no chance he will stop calling plays.23
How they headlined it
The same event, as each outlet put it. Marked words appear in only one outlet's headline.
Oklahoma upsets No. 1 Texas on Tate Sandell's game-ending 47-yard field goal
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
Tesla unveiled a next-generation Roadster electric sports car with rocket-powered thrusters at a SpaceX facility in McGregor, Texas. The vehicle performed midair maneuvers including flipping, driving upside down, and flying over other vehicles during the demonstration.
$$50,000 for roadster Performance version reservation payment
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and founder of SpaceX; Lars Moravy, Tesla VP of Vehicle Engineering; Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla Chief Designer and 2 more
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary flight restriction barring unauthorized drones along the US-Mexico border up to 400 feet above ground, extending one nautical mile north of the border. The action addresses concerns about illegal drug shipments and cartel drone activity.
Federal Aviation Administration, Issued temporary flight restriction; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Stated military will shoot down cartel drones; Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Said restrictions will counter cartel drone threats and 1 more
Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee for Texas governor, was interviewed about her campaign. She is running to secure schools and put money in voters' pockets, and is challenging Republican incumbent Greg Abbott.
Texas A&M University-Victoria held an investiture ceremony Wednesday to celebrate President Christian Hardigree's first year of leadership and the university's first year in The Texas A&M University System. State and federal officials, university system leaders, and higher education representatives attended the event at the Leo J. Welder Center for the Performing Arts.
Christian Hardigree, President of Texas A&M University-Victoria; AJ Louderback, Texas State Representative; Lois Kolkhorst, Texas State Senator and 4 more
Two Texas county judge races are scheduled for the Nov. 3 election. In Bexar County, Republican Patrick Von Dohlen is challenging Democrat Ron Nirenberg. In Brazoria County, Republican Rob Giesecke, independent Lucinda Henry and Democrat Eugene Howard are running to replace retiring County Judge Matt Sebesta.
Patrick Von Dohlen, Republican candidate for Bexar County judge; Ron Nirenberg, Democrat candidate for Bexar County judge; Rob Giesecke, Republican candidate for Brazoria County judge and 3 more
County clerks and election administrators across Texas are implementing security procedures before early voting begins October 19. Travis County plans 201 voting locations on Election Day. Multiple counties conducted security training for poll workers.
Travis County Clerk Dyana Limon-Mercado, Travis County Clerk; Bexar County Elections Administrator Michele Carew, Bexar County Elections Administrator; Dallas County Elections Administrator Paul Adams, Dallas County Elections Administrator and 2 more
A body was found in Lady Bird Lake near Austin early Friday morning. Police were called for a welfare check after witnesses reported seeing a body floating in the water. The person was pronounced dead at the scene. The death is not being investigated as a homicide.
Austin Police Department, Investigating death; Austin Fire Department, Assisted with body recovery; Austin-Travis County EMS, Responded and pronounced person dead and 1 more
Democratic and Republican candidates released third-quarter campaign fundraising reports for the 2026 midterm elections. Democrat James Talarico's Texas Senate campaign raised $60 million between July and September, while Republican Ken Paxton's campaign raised about $10 million in the same period. Elon Musk's super PAC has heavily backed Paxton's campaign.
$$60 million for campaign funds raised, third quarter 2026
James Talarico, Democrat candidate for Texas Senate; Ken Paxton, Republican candidate for Texas Senate; Elon Musk, Tech billionaire and super PAC backer of Republican candidates