Special Teams Sunday: How field goal percentage fits into Texas' plan for improvement in the third phase

Last week during what’s likely to be his lone media availability of the regular season, Texas special teams coordinator Jeff Banks explained that the Longhorns highlighted three key areas needing major improvement in order to better a special teams unit that finished ranked No. 117 out of 134 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in SP+.

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• Net punting
• Field goal precentage
• Penalties

Today will feature a look at all three. First up was net punting. Next is field goal percentage.

During the spring, Steve Sarkisian mentioned he planned to ramp up the battle between Bert Auburn and Will Stone at place kicker. A few days later, Auburn entered the transfer portal. A day after that, Texas State transfer Mason Shipley committed to Texas.

The Longhorns did what was necessary in the portal to earn a commitment from the Liberty Hill product and defeat TCU, UCF, and Oklahoma for his services.

Here’s a look at Shipley’s stats with the Bobcats in 2024 via Pro Football Focus.

Compare those to Auburn’s numbers in 2024.

The difference from 40 yards and further is striking. Auburn was 6-for-14, while Shipley was 6-for-8. Those 40-yards-or-further kicks were also in the most pressure-packed situations of the year. Auburn was 2-for-4 from 40+ against Georgia and 0-for-1 against Arizona State.

“Being a high level kicker not only at this institution, but in high level college football, playoffs, and in the NFL, you’ve got to make pressure kicks,” Banks said last week. “Unfortunately, where Bert struggled the most was making those kicks. Obviously, we’ve acquired talent at both those positions and we hope that will help improve both those areas. I think it will.”

Both Auburn and Shipley were about the same from 39 and closer. Shipley did have two failed PATs, however. But Shipley is at Texas and Auburn is now at Miami.

When looking in the portal, Banks sought three attributes and believes he found all three in Shipley.

“Really, what we look at is three things. No. 1, we look at a guy who has got a proven track record regardless of what school he’s at and what environment he’s kicking in,” Banks said. “Those things, meaning he’s made and has a high percentage of made kicks in college football regardless of conference.”

“No. 2, we look at leg talent. Let’s face it: the kicks that Bert was missing for the most part were over 45 yards. We knew that was going to be a pressure point if we kept getting in that situation, and unfortunately it reared its ugly head,” Banks said. “You can solve a lot of it by just scoring a touchdown, but unfortunately we got in those spots. We’ve got to make them. That’s on us. That’s on me as a coach.”

Banks said a couple of other things before getting to point three.

“Third, we look at a guy who can come in and make it at this level and this arena,” he said. “Mason has got a great disposition. He’s just a mature kid. A man that has a very good demeanor about him. We’ll learn more about him as we go through training camp. We’ve had a good summer with him. Him and Will Stone will both compete, and I think Will’s a lot better than he was a year ago just from going through all this and going through the end of the season the way he did.”

Stone took over as Texas’ kicker ahead of the Cotton Bowl, adding that to his place-kicking duties. All he had to do in that newfound role was hit two extra points.

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He’s likely to keep the kickoff role while competing with Shipley, but kickoffs weren’t the issue last year. Field goals were. Shipley represents someone that the Longhorns staff truly believes brings an upgrade to the place-kicking position, and any upgrade there may help Texas find the edge it needs in close games in 2025 that it didn’t have in 2024.