Texas Football Sparks New Life in Playoff Hunt After Narrow Win Against Vanderbilt

The Texas Longhorns show renewed vigor, defeating Vanderbilt 34-31 and keeping their playoff hopes alive.

AUSTIN – Maybe all it took for Texas to look like, well, Texas was a historic comeback in Starkville. The preseason No. 1 Longhorns largely stumbled into November with a 6-2 record. Techincally alive for all their preseason goals but having provided little evidence that a SEC Championship or playoff appearance was truly possible after back-to-back overtime wins over Kentucky and Mississippi State.

However, on this Saturday, No. 20 Texas looked like the contender everyone believed them to be against No. 9 Vanderbilt, clinching a 34-31 victory. The game seemed to be well in hand before the Commodores scored a pair of late touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

Texas linebacker Anthony Hill remarked, “It takes a lot of toughness to come back against Mississippi State, and I feel like we built a lot of calluses for games like this where we can just go play and be free.”

Ryan Wingo opened the scoring for the Longhorns with a 75-yard touchdown off a screen pass, showcasing incredible open-field blocking. Despite experiencing some setbacks, Arch Manning, returning from a concussion, played his best game of the season, finishing 25-for-33 for 328 yards and three touchdowns.

The pinnacle moment of the game came when Manning’s offensive line displayed significant improvement, leading Texas to dominate the line of scrimmage all afternoon. Texas’ defense continued its dominance, limiting Vanderbilt to just 2.4 yards per carry.

As the stakes rise for both teams, the win places Texas back in the realistic contention for the SEC alongside pivotal upcoming matches against Georgia, Arkansas, and Texas A&M. Coach Steve Sarkisian emphasized that this victory signifies a change in Texas’ trajectory, stating, “We’re very hungry. In the end, it was probably the best thing for us for this group to really grow together and lock arms and fight and compete together with a common goal.”

This win showcases the potential resurgence of the Longhorns just when they needed it most, sparking hopes as they aim for championship contention.