Texas Longhorns: A Narrow Escape in Starkville
A Dramatic Comeback
The No. 22 Texas Longhorns found themselves in a tough spot against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. They were down by 17 points at the start of the fourth quarter. But then, something changed. Arch Manning and the offense woke up. They scored 17 points in the fourth quarter. Ryan Niblett also had a huge punt return. This all led to overtime. Texas won, but they still have a lot to work on.
Offensive Struggles
The offense was not great for most of the game. They only gained 2.37 yards per carry. The running backs had 68 yards on 21 carries. The offensive line struggled too. They gave up five sacks, three hurries, and 12 tackles for loss. The skill positions need to improve. Ryan Wingo had nearly 200 yards, but he dropped some important passes. The offensive line also had some issues with rotations. Cole Hutson, DJ Campbell, and Connor Stroh all had to fill in for different players.
Defensive Challenges
The defense also had a tough game. They had been doing well, allowing only 11.3 points per game. But against Mississippi State, they gave up 38 points. They struggled with the Bulldogs' speed and aggression. The defense did make some big stops late in the game. They had back-to-back three-and-outs, a punt, and a turnover on downs. This showed their fight and tenacity.
Arch Manning's Best Performance
Arch Manning had his best game of the season. He threw for 346 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for 15 yards on a 3rd and 10 to keep a drive alive. He even scrambled for 13 yards in overtime. Manning wasn't perfect, but this was his best performance of the season. If he can build on this, Texas has a chance to gain momentum.
