Arch Manning shook off a brutal three-interception night to deliver the game-winning touchdown pass with just 3 seconds left, propelling No. 6 Texas to a wild 22-21 upset over No. 21 LSU on Saturday night. This wasn’t just a win, it was a gut-check comeback where the Longhorns stared down an 11-point second-half deficit in the notorious Death Valley, practically slamming the door shut on LSU’s College Football Playoff hopes.
Manning’s Redemption in Baton Rouge
Talk about a roller coaster! Manning, despite his earlier struggles, found Raleek Brown on a 4-yard pass with the clock practically at zero. Brown, on a motion play to the left, caught it in stride and beat the LSU defense to the front pylon. That play finished off a clutch 58-yard, 12-play drive that started after Texas forced an LSU punt with a little more than two minutes left on the clock. This wasn’t just a big win, it was Texas’s fourth straight, moving them to 8-2 overall and 5-2 in the SEC, essentially locking up a CFP spot with their fifth win over a ranked opponent. You gotta love that kind of grit, especially considering it was their first time playing in Baton Rouge since way back in 1953. Manning personally picked up his ninth career win over a ranked team in 11 tries, throwing for 174 yards and running for another score. His three interceptions in this game marked his eighth career pick, but it was his first in his past three games.
LSU Blew It, Big Time
While Texas showed incredible resolve, LSU really let this one slip through their fingers. Tigers quarterback Sam Leavitt hooked up with Jackson Harris for two touchdown passes, including a 10-yard slant on the home team’s opening possession and another 9-yard score after LSU safety Ty Benefield intercepted a Manning pass and returned it to the Texas 7-yard line. Dilin Jones also ripped off a huge 44-yard scoring run in the third quarter that looked like it would seal the deal. But head coach Lane Kiffin’s conservative play-calling at the end of the first half proved incredibly costly. Instead of going for a potential touchdown that would have given them a 21-10 lead, Leavitt threw three safe passes at the line of scrimmage, and Scott Starzyk pushed a 38-yard field-goal attempt wide right. To make it even more head-scratching, LSU was getting the second-half kickoff! That whole sequence just felt like a massive swing of momentum and left Kiffin’s strategy very confusing. LSU had converted their first five third-down attempts, even benefiting from a roughing the passer call on Brad Spence after what would’ve been an incompletion. But when Texas finally stopped them on third down, with Leavitt’s pass gaining zero yards, it marked a turning point.
Texas, after scoring on their opening possession with a 1-yard Manning run (his third rushing TD in the last three games), was held to just three Gianni Spetic field goals for most of the game, including a 50-yarder that brought them within five points with 11:37 left. They were trailing by 11 points in the second half! This comeback isn’t just a win; it’s a statement. Texas looks like a legitimate CFP contender, and Manning’s ability to bounce back from three picks to win a game in such a hostile environment? That’s the stuff legends are made of. What’s next for these Longhorns? They’ve got to keep that momentum rolling, proving this wasn’t just a fluke.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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