Number one Texas got absolutely stunned, falling 27-24 to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry. Quarterback Arch Manning had an uneven performance for the Longhorns, throwing three touchdown passes, but it was his two crucial interceptions that gifted Oklahoma 10 points and ultimately sealed Texas’s heartbreaking loss at the Cotton Bowl.
The Halftime Lead That Just Vanished
Manning actually started hot, slinging a 41-yard touchdown pass to Cam Coleman and then a 34-yarder to Ryan Wingo. That gave Texas a solid 17-7 lead at halftime. He even came back in the fourth quarter to tie the game with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Bishop Jr. The kid racked up 260 yards on 19-of-31 passing, which sounds pretty decent on paper. But man, those picks? They were the whole story.
The first one came early in the fourth quarter. Manning scrambled, trying to escape a nasty Oklahoma pass rush, and just lofted one up in Coleman’s direction. Peyton Bowen, the Oklahoma defensive back, snatched it and took it 42 yards to the house for a touchdown. That was a gut punch, the first time since 2021 that a Texas opponent had scored off an interception return. You could feel the air go right out of the building. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the biggest mistake was still coming.
The Final Drive Disaster and What It Means
With the game tied and regulation winding down, Texas was trying to get into position for a walk-off win against the Sooners. You know, hero stuff. Instead, Manning threw his second interception of the game. Courtland Guillory picked him off on the sidelines at Oklahoma’s 39-yard line with just 19 seconds left on the clock. Nineteen seconds! That’s all Oklahoma needed.
They immediately marched 33 yards on two passes, setting up Tate Sandell for a 47-yard field goal as time expired. Ballgame. Just like that, Texas’s perfect 4-0 record became 4-1. Oklahoma, now 3-2, walked away with a massive rivalry win. For Manning, who has thrown for 1,122 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions this season, leading an offense that’s only averaging 22.7 points per game against Power Four teams, this loss is going to sting. He was sitting at 12th-best in the Heisman Trophy odds at +5500 on DraftKings as of Saturday night. After this performance? Those numbers are definitely taking a hit.
Now, No. 1 Texas is definitely gonna tumble in the Associated Press poll. They have a home game against Florida next weekend, and guess what? Florida beat Manning’s Longhorns last season. Talk about adding insult to injury. This team needs to figure things out, and fast, if they want to get back on track.
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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