No. 7 Texas just choked away a 14-point lead at home, getting stunned 27-24 by an unranked Florida team that was missing its starting quarterback. The Royal-Memorial Stadium crowd of 103,989 watched in disbelief as Arch Manning fumbled the ball late, sealing Texas’s second consecutive loss and possibly gutting their playoff hopes.
That’s How You Blow a Lead
The Longhorns actually looked decent early, putting up 10 points on their first two series thanks to an R. Brown 32-yard run and a Spetic 38-yard field goal. But after that? Man, it was ugly. They managed just one first down in over 24 minutes of the second half, with two other three-and-outs. Meanwhile, Florida’s new guy, Tramell Jones Jr., making his first start no less, just kept chipping away, even connecting with Hayden Dippre for two touchdown passes in the second and third quarters.
Florida took the lead for good, 20-17, on a 28-yard field goal from Patrick Durkin with 10:40 left in the game. Then Jadan Baugh ran in an 11-yard touchdown, capping a ridiculous run where Florida scored four times in five possessions. Just like that, Texas’s season got put on life support, right there in front of a stunned crowd of 103,989.
The Fumble Heard ‘Round the SEC
Texas tried to rally late, you gotta give them that. Arch Manning connected with Emmett Mosley V for a 62-yard bomb, then hit Cam Coleman for a 9-yard touchdown with 4:21 left. It felt like they had a chance to get back in it after a defensive stop.
But then, with 1:58 to play, Manning dropped back to pass and fumbled the ball. Just coughed it up to Florida. Game over. The Gators ran out the clock, securing their second win over the Longhorns in as many years. You also can’t ignore the fact that star DE Colin Simmons had to be carted off with a leg injury earlier, which had to hurt the defensive morale. And get this: Florida, who came into this game reeling from back-to-back losses where they gave up 83 points and sported the 110th-ranked defense, just stood tall and dominated the Longhorns when it mattered most. That’s just brutal for Texas.
This isn’t just one loss, either. It’s the program’s second consecutive L, marking their first two-game losing streak since Steve Sarkisian’s 5-7 season way back in 2021. They fall to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in SEC play. That loss puts their playoff hopes into pure desperation mode, and they’re even in jeopardy of falling out of the Top 25. Florida, on the other hand, moves to 5-2 after that wild upset.
What’s next for Texas? They host Ole Miss next Saturday night. After a performance like that, losing at home to an unranked team coming off two straight losses, they’ve got to find some answers. Their season is teetering right now, big time. It’s either bounce back or watch everything they’ve worked for slip away.
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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