Arch Manning and Texas Hold off Late Ole Miss Charge

Arch Manning scored three touchdowns Saturday night in Austin to help nineteenth-ranked Texas hold off seventh-ranked Mississippi for a wild 34-27 victory after blowing a twenty-one-point halftime lead.

Manning completed his evening with two rushing scores and one passing touchdown despite committing three turnovers as the Longhorns improved to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the Southeastern Conference.

The victory offered a temporary reprieve for Texas coach Steve Sarkisian following consecutive losses that knocked the team from the top spot in the national rankings.

The win mattered deeply for the Longhorns as they sought to halt a troubling trend of squandering multi-possession leads in the second half of games.

"We say every week, 'whatever it takes,' and I think we did that in the fourth quarter," Manning said after the game.

Texas dominated the opening two quarters to build a 24-3 advantage before Mississippi capitalized on a series of miscues to roar back into the contest.

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss threw two touchdown passes to Horatio Fields during a stretch of twenty-one unanswered points that tied the score at 24 early in the fourth quarter.

The comeback gained momentum when Kam Franklin recovered a fumble by Manning in the end zone for a defensive touchdown on the opening drive of the third quarter.

Running back Raleek Brown shouldered the rushing load for Texas in the absence of the injured Hollywood Smothers, finishing with 157 yards on 23 carries.

Brown delivered a 47-yard run that set up Manning for a one-yard touchdown run with 8:04 remaining to put the Longhorns ahead for good at 31-24.

Gianni Spetic added a late field goal to extend the lead to ten points before Mississippi responded with a kick of its own inside the final two minutes.

The Rebels recovered the subsequent onside kick and drove to the Texas 24-yard line before Jelani McDonald intercepted a final pass in the end zone as time expired.

"I was pacing, saying a few prayers," Manning said about the final Mississippi drive.

"Our defense came up clutch, that's what it's all about."

"I would be the first one to tell you we were not perfect tonight," said Texas coach Steve Sarkisian while also rattling off the penalty yardage.

Texas finished the game with a season-high 14 penalties resulting in 134 yards, contributing to the mounting pressure on the coaching staff.

"We said that at halftime, they’ve been up multiple possessions in this stadium and lost," said Ole Miss Rebels coach Pete Golding.

The Longhorns will attempt to build on their inconsistent performance during the remaining five weeks of the regular season.