No. 7 Texas just went on the road and shut the door on No. 18 Missouri, pulling off a huge 34-20 fourth-quarter win that massively pads their College Football Playoff resume. This wasn’t some easy stroll, either, the Longhorns stared down an upset and walked away stronger.
The Grind in Columbia Before the Breakthrough
Missouri came out swinging in their own house. The No. 18 Tigers, who’d already taken down a Top-10 Florida team this year, led Texas 10-7 after the first quarter. Texas managed to knot things up at 10-all by halftime with a 27-yard field goal. The third quarter turned into a shootout, both teams trading blows, touchdowns and field goals flying. It was 20-all heading into the final frame, and you could feel the tension. Everyone was wondering who would blink first.
Fourth Quarter Fireworks and a Flag
Then came the fourth quarter, and Texas flipped a switch. After three straight punts, Arch Manning hit Raleek Brown for a touchdown pass, putting the Longhorns up 27-20. But hold up, because this drive had some *major* drama. What was initially called a Manning fumble suddenly became a 12-yard gain and a first down for Texas. Former referee Terry McCauley even took to X, saying it should have been “clearly and Obviously an incomplete forward pass.” Ouch.
Texas’s defense didn’t waste the opportunity. They forced a Missouri three-and-out. The Longhorns punted it back to Austin Simmons with just 2:06 left. Simmons had been balling out, 252 yards and two touchdowns on the day. He even took a big hit on the previous drive, briefly stepping out. But Texas’s D wasn’t done. On 3rd-and-6, Simmons thought he had a first down completion to Cayden Lee, but Texas defensive back Warren Robinson *popped that ball out*! Graceson Littleton was right there to recover it, sealing the deal. Raleek Brown then iced the game with an eight-yard touchdown run, making it 34-20 with 1:25 remaining. Shut. The. Door.
CFP Hopes: Undeniable?
This road win over a ranked opponent is HUGE for Texas. Yeah, they’ve got two losses against unranked teams in Oklahoma and Florida, and that’s not ideal. But look at the resume they’re stacking: road wins over No. 18 Missouri and current No. 13 Tennessee back on September 26. Plus, that Week 1 come-from-behind victory against then-No. 1 Ohio State. Don’t forget their home win over No. 10 Ole Miss a couple weeks ago, either. These quality wins are making those earlier losses matter way less.
What’s next for the Longhorns? They’ve got another tough road test next week against LSU, then home against Arkansas and road against Texas A&M to finish it off, both teams with losing records. They just need to keep piling up those wins and keep that CFP dream alive.
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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