Texas blew a 14-point lead, suffered its second straight loss, and left Arch Manning’s future hanging in the balance. The No. 7 Longhorns were embarrassed at home by unranked Florida in a 27-24 defeat, raising serious questions about Steve Sarkisian’s struggling offense. But while Manning faced mounting criticism, Ryan Niblett, who delivered a 63-yard punt-return touchdown, had someone far more important to answer to. Sitting in his lap during the postgame press conference was his daughter, Romi, the little girl he credits for pushing him to give everything on the field.
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“Knowing that she’s sitting here in my lap, just knowing that I got her in the back of my mind, I feel like I got to go out there every week and just play as hard as I can,” Niblett said about his daughter in the postgame presser, as per Zach Dimmitt of Sports Illustrated on X.
Niblett became a father in August 2025, and she attended her first Texas game on September 20, 2025, a 55-0 win over Sam Houston. Back then, Niblett discussed how he manages the demands of football alongside his responsibilities at home.
“When I’m at football, I try only to focus on football. When I’m at home, I try to focus on being a dad,” he explained.
Football has not always been easy for him, either. Niblett was a highly rated recruit out of Aldine Eisenhower High School in Houston, where he caught 55 passes for 1,088 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior.
Early on at Texas, his chances were limited, and he seriously considered the transfer portal, with Alabama, Texas Tech, and Houston among the schools interested. Sarkisian pushed for him to stay.
“I didn’t let him leave. I fought to keep him here,” Sarkisian said in 2025.
On Saturday, he gave Texas its biggest moment of the afternoon. Niblett returned a punt 63 yards for a touchdown with 11:27 left in the second quarter, making it 17-3, and he finished with two punt returns for 80 yards. From there, the game slipped away.
Florida, led by first-time starter Tramell Jones Jr., scored 24 straight points. Arch Manning pulled Texas within 27-24 on a nine-yard touchdown pass to Cam Coleman with 4:21 left. Then, with 2:03 on the clock, Florida linebacker Myles Graham sacked Manning, the ball came out, and defensive back Kanye Clark recovered it at the Texas 39.
Texas finished with 272 yards and converted two of 10 third downs, while Florida had 313 yards. The Longhorns, who were ranked No. 1 before losing to Oklahoma on October 10, fell to 4-2 as the No. 7 team.
Niblett’s appearance with Romi also brought back memories of Stephen Curry’s 2015 postgame press conference. The NBA star’s two-year-old daughter, Riley, sat on his lap after the Warriors defeated the Rockets in the Western Conference finals, interrupted his answers, and even told him to “be quiet.”
Meanwhile, Arch Manning’s starting job came under scrutiny after his third fourth-quarter turnover in two games. He threw two late interceptions against Oklahoma before his costly fumble sealed the loss to Florida. When asked whether he had considered replacing Manning, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian refused to rule out a quarterback change.
“We’re not playing good offensive football right now, so everything is going to be evaluated,” Sarkisian said.
When asked specifically whether Manning was part of that evaluation, Sarkisian replied, “Everything means everything.”
“Obviously, I’m extremely disappointed,” Sarkisian added. “We didn’t play very good football today, outside about the first quarter. We kind of bled out… I have to evaluate everything. It’s gonna be a long night… Everything means everything.”
“I don’t know what we did well in the second half, quite honestly,” Sarkisian said. “Whether it was run or pass. We’re just trying to get a first down to get started.”
Manning, who has taken the brunt of the criticism, did not dodge the questions, either.
“Everyone’s evaluated every week,” Manning said. “That’s how it is when you’re at a school like this with elite players. So everyone’s gotta get better.”
Texas hosts Ole Miss on October 24, leaving Sarkisian with one week to decide whether Manning remains his starting quarterback.