Arch Manning and Texas Hold off Ole Miss After Blown Lead

Arch Manning scored three touchdowns Saturday as nineteenth-ranked Texas squandered a twenty-one-point halftime lead before holding on for a wild 34-27 victory against seventh-ranked Mississippi in Austin.

Manning completed his performance with two rushing scores and one passing touchdown while committing three turnovers, and running back Raleek Brown contributed 157 yards on 23 carries.

The narrow win helped the Longhorns avoid a third consecutive defeat after previous blown leads against Florida and Oklahoma dropped them from the top spot in the national rankings.

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

Texas dominated the opening two quarters to build a 24-3 lead, highlighted by a 50-yard touchdown pass from Manning to receiver Ryan Wingo.

The momentum shifted immediately after halftime when defender Blake Purchase sacked Manning from the blind side, forcing a fumble that teammate Kam Franklin recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.

Mississippi erased the deficit by scoring 21 unanswered points, capped when quarterback Trinidad Chambliss connected with Horatio Fields for a 27-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to tie the game.

Texas responded with an 80-yard drive that featured heavy rushing from Brown and ended with Manning jogging 1 yard untouched into the end zone for a 31-24 lead with 8:04 remaining.

Gianni Spetic added a late field goal to extend the lead to 10 points before Mississippi answered with a field goal inside the final two minutes to narrow the deficit.

"I would be the first one to tell you we were not perfect tonight," said Steve Sarkisian, the Texas coach.

Mississippi recovered the subsequent onside kick and advanced to the Texas 24-yard line before a final desperate pass into the end zone was intercepted by Jelani McDonald on the game's final play.

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

"They’ve been down multiple possessions in this stadium and won," Golding said.

"I was pacing, saying a few prayers," said Manning about the final defensive stand. "Our defense came up clutch, that's what it's all about."

Texas finished the contest with a season-high 14 penalties totaling 134 yards, continuing a trend of undisciplined play that has plagued the team throughout the season.

The Longhorns must address their recurring second-half struggles and special teams vulnerabilities as the regular season enters its final 5 weeks.