How Special Teams Saved the Texas Longhorns vs Kentucky

On Saturday, the Texas Longhorns won in a tight 16-13 victory in overtime against the Kentucky Wildcats for week 8 of college football.

Extending their winning streak, the Longhorns are officially 2-1 in SEC play which is mostly thanks to the opportunities created by the Texas special teams.

Special Teams Prove to Shine

Texas Longhorns kicker Mason Shipley (49) scores the winning field goal in overtime against the Kentucky Wildcats on Oct. 18, 2025 at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky. | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

In Saturday’s matchup, defensive back Ryan Niblett and kicker Mason Shipley proved to be the shining stars.

Niblett, who doubles as a punt returner for Texas, made two pivotal plays throughout the game that put the Longhorns’ in scoring position.

Once in the second quarter, he put the Longhorns’ offense deep in Kentucky's territory. To which, he returned a punt on the 50-yard line and ran 45 yards to place Texas at the 5-yard line. Thus, allowing the Longhorns to post their first points of the night and take the 7-0 lead.

Then, making a similar play in the fourth quarter, when he made a 43-yard punt return and set up Shipley for a field goal, which put the Longhorns ahead 13-10 with 0:57 left on the clock.

As for Shipley, who secured three big field goals for the Longhorns. Despite kicking a 53-yard goal in the third quarter, his biggest play of the night was the game-winner, when he secured a 45-yard goal in overtime.

Heading into Week 9

Kentucky Wildcats running back Dante Dowdell (2) attempts to score a touchdown but comes up short in overtime on Oct. 18, 2025 at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky. | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Through it all, Texas’ defense continued to look elite as they slowed down any major movement from the Wildcats’ run game — even making a big stop in overtime while Kentucky was on the goal line with only a single yard to go.

As for the offense, despite the Longhorns looking sound in Week 7 against the Oklahoma Sooners, their low scoring and slim victory over Kentucky illustrate that the offensive unit still continues to battle with consistency.

With a completion percentage of 44.4, quarterback Arch Manning completed only 12 of his 27 passing attempts on Saturday. However, their offensive struggles weren’t limited to Manning, as Texas’ run game produced a mere 47 yards on the ground. All of which made for 179 total yards for the Longhorns.

In the end, special teams proved to hold it down for the Longhorns as they secured the Week 8 win.

Next up on the schedule, the Longhorns will face the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday, Oct. 25, in Starkville, Mississippi for the final matchup of their four-game road trip.