Arch Manning, Texas survive Ole Miss after another second-half meltdown creates Austin anxiety
Texas beat No. 7 Ole Miss 34-27 in Austin, surviving a late surge after letting a 21-point lead disappear. The narrow win matters because it offers relief for a Longhorns team under pressure, while renewing doubts about its ability to sustain strong performances across both halves.
Arch Manning helped Texas race to a 24-3 lead, but the Longhorns managed only 19 yards in the third quarter as Ole Miss scored 21 unanswered points. Texas rallied in the fourth, then held on after the Rebels kicked a field goal and recovered an onside kick; Trinidad Chambliss’s final throw was intercepted in the end zone. The result leaves questions about both teams’ standing among the SEC’s contenders.
In short
- Texas edged No. 7 Ole Miss 34-27.
- The Longhorns squandered a 24-3 lead.
- A final interception sealed the win.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Texas’s win over a highly ranked Ole Miss side shows the Longhorns can respond under pressure: after their offence stalled and the lead vanished, they rallied and made the decisive defensive play. The result offers a reason to retain confidence in the team’s resilience and its prospects in the SEC race.
The case against
The comeback scare reinforces concern that Texas cannot sustain its level across a full game: a 21-point lead became a tie after the offence produced only 19 third-quarter yards and Ole Miss scored 21 unanswered points. Needing a late rally and an end-zone interception to hold on may leave legitimate doubts about Texas’s consistency and its standing among SEC contenders.
Explained simply
Texas and Ole Miss are university teams in the Southeastern Conference, or SEC, one of the main leagues in US college football. Texas, based in Austin, joined the SEC in 2024 after many years in other conferences; Ole Miss is based in Mississippi. Their games can affect how teams are judged for places in the national championship play-offs.
Arch Manning is Texas’s quarterback, the player who directs the offence and throws the ball. He comes from a prominent football family, but is building his own record at college level. Trinidad Chambliss is a quarterback for Ole Miss, whose team is known as the Rebels.
A team’s form across an entire game matters because a strong start alone does not settle the result. Texas has been assessed against the high expectations that come with its resources and recent success, while Ole Miss is also competing for recognition among the SEC’s strongest teams.
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