Texas Longhorns kicker Gianni Spetic (44) kicks the winning score against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Royal-Memorial Stadium in Austin, Sept. 12, 2026. Texas Longhorns wins over Ohio State Buckeyes
Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman
As the Texas football completed an improbable comeback on Saturday night, Arch Manning, Hollywood Smothers and members of the Texas defense did their jobs.
All that was left was for Gianni Spetic to do his.
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Spetic’s extra point following a Smothers touchdown run with 25 seconds left was the difference in No. 4 Texas’ 24-23 win over No. 1 Ohio State at Royal-Memorial Stadium. In its first win over the Associated Press poll’s top-ranked team since 2008, Texas outscored the Buckeyes by a 21-0 margin in the fourth quarter.
“You dream of playing in games like this, hosting the number one team in the country,” Manning said. “And how about that? Getting the win by one point? Let’s go, baby.”
Gianni Spetic ensures that Texas doesn’t miss another pivotal extra point
Texas Longhorns kicker Gianni Spetic (44) score the first points for Texas Longhorns in the first half of the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Royal-Memorial Stadium in Austin, Sept. 12, 2026.
Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman
Ahead of his game-winning kick, Spetic had made 139 of the 141 extra points that he had attempted during a collegiate career that had included one season at Memphis and a two-year stint with the Ohio Bobcats.
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A senior who joined the Longhorns after spending the 2025 season at Memphis, Spetic had to that point made 139 of the 141 extra points that he had attempted during a collegiate career that also included two years with the Ohio Bobcats. As a team, Texas had last missed an extra point in 2021.
Yet, the 20-yard kick that Texas needed to win could not have been assumed. Longtime fans of the Longhorns know this. After all, Saturday came nearly 11 years to the day after a missed extra point by Nick Rose spoiled Jerrod Heard’s attempt to rally UT back from a 21-point deficit against Cal.
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Staring down the same goal post in the north end zone at Rose, Spetic took three steps back, lined up his kick and shuffled two steps to his left. After holder Mac Chiumento then called for the snap from Trey Dupuc, Spetic easily split the uprights.
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“You have to keep it the same as you’re kicking a regular field goal,” Spetic said. “You try not to change anything to make it a bigger kick than what it is.”
On the Texas sideline, running back Raleek Brown said “I was real confident in (Spetic). I don’t even think I looked at it.” But what was going through the head of Spetic?
Explained Spetic: “It’s actually pretty funny. Working with (Texas analyst) Matt Moran, he had a little saying that I always say to myself: ‘Like a teacup.’ It’s kind of just placing the cup in your head, and you’ve got to be smooth to the ball. It’s what I say to myself before each kick. It helps me stay tall and be smooth.”
Texas kicker Gianni Spetic (44) lines up an extra point during the game against Texas State at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 5, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Who is Gianni Spetic?
Spetic was among the first transfers to commit to Texas this offseason, and he said was lured to Austin by the connection he made with special teams coordinator Jeff Banks and the chance to “play for a winning team.” The Longhorns’ transfer class also included Chiumento (Florida State) and Dupuc (New Mexico).
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The grandson of Croatian immigrants, Spetic is proud of his heritage. In fact, Spetic’s online bio at Ohio once stated that he was “100% Croatian.”
More: Texas QB Arch Manning boosts his Heisman Trophy case in comeback win
Speaking of biographical information, click on Spetic’s name on the Texas website and you will find out that the Ohio native grew up about 35 miles outside of Cleveland and is a longtime fan of the Cavaliers, Guardians and Browns. Omitted from that list of favorite teams, though, was the college that he grew up rooting for.
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“I grew up an Ohio State fan,” Spetic said.
Bred as a Buckeye, Spetic was spammed by scarlet slander in the lead-up to Saturday’s kickoff. That trash talk from friends, however, turned to congratulatory texts after he made a 37-yard field goal and three extra points against Ohio State. Saturday marked the first time in Spetic’s collegiate career that he made a lead-taking kick within the final two minutes of a game.