Texas recovers after blowing big lead, hangs on to beat Ole Miss

AUSTIN – After surrendering a 21-point halftime lead, 19th-ranked Texas rallied to score the go-ahead touchdown on Arch Manning’s 1-yard bootleg run in the final three minutes and beat No. 7 Ole Miss 34-27 to keep its SEC championship hopes alive.

The Longhorns were pushed to the limit when the Rebels scored three second-half touchdowns, including a fumble recovery in the end zone, to tie the game at 24-24 on the third play of the fourth quarter.

Texas’ Alex January blocked a 58-yard field goal as Ole Miss tried to cut into its seven-point deficit. Raleek Brown, who ran for 157 yards, keyed a late drive leading to a 33-yard field goal by Gianni Spetic with 2:25 to boost the lead to 10 points. 

The Rebels got within seven points with 1:22 left and then recovered an onside kick that the Longhorns couldn’t corral. Texas survived after Jelani McDonald intercepted Trinidad Chambliss’ pass in the end zone as time expired. The Longhorns improved to 5-2 overall and evened their SEC record at 2-2. Ole Miss fell to 5-2 and 3-2.

All but given up for dead after losses to Oklahoma and Florida, the Longhorns came out inspired and motivated, and Manning stepped up with his best performance of the year in the first half before having three turnovers to keep Ole Miss in the game.

Ole Miss’ comeback to tie the game began with a sack of Manning resulting in a fumble recovery in the end zone by defensive end Kam Franklin for a touchdown. Chambliss then connected with Horatio Fields on a pair of touchdown passes of 6 and 27 yards, victimizing cornerback Kade Phillips on two perfect throws. The second score came on the third play of the fourth quarter.

The Longhorns, misfiring the entire third quarter, put together an 80-yard scoring drive to retake the lead at 31-24 with the help of a gigantic 47-yard run by Brown. Sophomore Michael Terry III, the fourth-string running back, ripped off gains of 12 and 19 yards to the lip of the goal-line before Manning scored on a perfectly timed 1-yard bootleg run.

Texas jumped out to a 24-3 in the first half with three consecutive touchdown drives and a goal-line stand for its best half of the season. But the double-digit lead for the fifth game in a row should have been much bigger.

Manning came out on fire. The junior quarterback completed 13 of 19 throws in the opening half with one touchdown and an interception. He should have had two scoring tosses, but Cam Coleman dropped an easy catch with nothing but green in front. Ryan Wingo did haul in a perfect pass for a 50-yard score.

Manning also utilized his legs for the first extended time of the season, gaining 30 yards on four runs and scoring his first touchdown of the year after running for 10 last season.

Justin Cryer stepped in front of an Ole Miss receiver for an interception – and Texas’ first takeaway in SEC play – one play after Manning was picked off for the sixth time this season.

That was the first of two interceptions by the Longhorns, who ranked 102nd nationally and 13th in the SEC in turnover margin. The second came on a great read by linebacker Rasheem Biles as Texas held the Rebels out of the end zone on a long drive with its first goal-line stand of the year.

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This article originally published at Texas recovers after blowing big lead, hangs on to beat Ole Miss.