Arch Manning stomped around the sideline in defiance, fireworks exploding in the background after his touchdown run. Then, he walked into the end zone for the go-ahead score. This was Manning delivering the gotta-have-it game, pulling No. 19 Texas back from the brink, even if it got dicey against No. 7 Ole Miss. The Longhorns survived, winning 34-27, and keeping their wild season from going completely off the rails.
“Edgy” Manning Lights Up the First Half
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian called Manning “edgy” this week, and man, did we ever see it. Manning came out firing, kicking things off with a huge 43-yard pass to Ryan Wingo. Then Raleek Brown just trucked Ole Miss safety Joenel Aguero on a 23-yard run. Manning himself wasn’t done, scoring on a 2-yard run and hitting a pose in the end zone. He even had a 19-yard scramble that set up a 50-yard touchdown pass, again to Wingo, putting Texas up 17-3. Michael Terry III added a 3-yard TD run, extending that lead to 24-3. At halftime, Manning was looking sharp, going 13 of 19 for 171 yards, a touchdown, and one interception. Meanwhile, Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss was struggling, 6 of 18 for 63 yards with two interceptions.
Longhorns Hang On Amidst Furious Comeback
Of course, with this Texas team, it’s never easy, is it? Ole Miss mounted a furious second-half comeback, led by Chambliss, who finished 25 of 52 for 250 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. The Longhorns held off the Rebels in that 34-27 victory, but it was a battle. Manning ended the game 18 of 30 for 212 yards and three total touchdowns, though he also had two interceptions and a fumble. In the postgame, he summed it up to ESPN’s Holly Rowe: “I think all week we just said, ‘Whatever it takes,’ and got the win.” He even joked with her, “I think you need to start doing our games more. We’re 3-0 with you this year.” Those three games, by the way, were decided by a combined total of seven points. Chambliss even tried to tie the score on the game’s final play, but Jelani McDonald came up huge with the game-clinching interception. McDonald’s a clutch player, too, remember his pass breakup on a Hail Mary back on Sept. 26 in that 20-17 win against Tennessee? Yeah, he did it again.
Manning and Texas are still the soap opera of the 2026 season, and this was yet another cliffhanger for the two-loss Longhorns. All those Manning transfer rumors that have been floating around for four years? They’re gonna fizzle out again. Backup QB KJ Lacey played just one snap after Manning took a hard hit, making it clear Lacey won’t be starting this season. Manning still looks like a first-round pick for the 2027 NFL Draft. This dramatic season script for Manning and Texas is far from finished, and with Texas now 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the SEC, they are right in the thick of a jumbled SEC playoff race. It looks like we’re all in for more of this wild ride.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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