Although Vanderbilt scored 21 unanswered to make things close late, Texas earned an impressive victory over a top-10 team.
In what was a make-or-break game for the Texas Longhorns, who are still looking to prove they’re one of the premier teams in the country after a couple of early-season losses, a huge test took place Saturday morning as the Longhorns hosted the No. 9-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores.
Arch Manning, who was questionable leading up to kickoff, cleared concussion protocol Friday night and was able to go — and luckily so for Texas. This ended up being his best performance in a Longhorn uniform, especially given the magnitude of the moment and the stakes involved.
Texas came out firing. On the very first play of the game, Manning hit Wisner on a swing pass that went 70-plus yards for a touchdown, putting the Longhorns up 7-0 instantly. On Vanderbilt’s first offensive possession, the Longhorns’ defense came up big with a strip-sack fumble recovery, setting up a field goal to make it 10-0 early. By the end of the first quarter, Texas already led 17-0 and looked completely in control.
Vanderbilt threw a counterpunch in the second quarter, putting up 10 points to make it 24-10 at halftime, but Texas dominated the third with 10 unanswered points to extend the lead to 34-10.
Then came the chaos. Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia led a furious comeback in the fourth quarter, putting up 21 unanswered points while the Vandy defense finally strung together stops. What looked like a blowout turned into a nail-biter as the Commodores scored with under a minute remaining, trimming the deficit to three.
Down 34-31, Vanderbilt’s only hope was an onside kick. It was perfectly placed — a slick, spinning ball that several Vanderbilt players had a shot at — but the rain and wet field conditions caused multiple bobbles. The ball eventually rolled out of bounds, sealing the win for Texas.
All in all, it was a signature performance from Arch Manning, who showed poise and command in the biggest moment of his college career. Wide receiver Ryan Wingo, who opened the game with that explosive touchdown, exited shortly after with what appeared to be a finger injury, and his status will be something to monitor as Texas enters its bye week.
Up next, the Longhorns head on the road to face Georgia, a massive test that could define the rest of their season. After this win, Texas should climb in the AP Poll and remains firmly in the conversation for a potential College Football Playoff berth.