A Fragile Lead
The Texas Longhorns survived a dramatic fourth-quarter surge from Ole Miss to secure a 34-27 victory at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Despite building a commanding 24-10 advantage, the No. 19-ranked Longhorns allowed the Rebels to score two touchdowns in the third quarter and three more points in the fourth before Arch Manning’s late touchdown run sealed the win.
Texas opened with defensive efficiency, forcing Ole Miss into a quick field goal by Gianni Spetic. The Rebels answered immediately when Lucas Carneiro connected on a 46-yard kick to tie the game at 3-3. However, Texas seized control in the first quarter when Manning scored from two yards out, extending the lead to 10-3.
The Longhorns’ offense continued to dominate in the second half, with Manning finding Ryan Wingo for a 50-yard touchdown pass and Michael Terry III powering in from two yards out to make it 24-3 at halftime.
Ole Miss Stages Comeback
The momentum shifted dramatically in the third quarter. Texas turned the ball over on downs, leading to Kam Franklin’s 0-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. Trinidad Chambliss then connected with Horatio Fields on a 6-yard pass to cut the deficit to 24-17.
The Rebels refused to quit, tying the game at 24-24 late in the fourth quarter when Chambliss found Fields again on a 27-yard strike.
Texas regained the lead just before halftime of the fourth period when Manning rushed for a one-yard touchdown. Spetic added a 33-yard field goal to push the score to 34-24. Ole Miss refused to surrender, with Carneiro kicking a 39-yard field goal as time expired to make the final score 34-27.