On second-and-2 from the Razorbacks’ 44-yard line, Maraad Watson forced Mike Washington Jr. to bounce a run outside, where Colin Simmons and Malik Muhammad finished him off for a 1-yard loss. One play later, Jelani McDonald was in the right place at the right time, intercepting Taylen Green’s inexplicable decision to push the ball off his chest and into open space as the walls were closing in on him on third-and-3.
On the Longhorns' ensuing possession, Quintrevion Wisner got away from a defender near the line of scrimmage and weaved his way to a 4-yard gain on third-and-3. On third-and-goal from the 8-yard line, Arch Manning came through with arguably the biggest highlight from the most productive outing of his career, spinning out of pressure and threading the needle between two defenders on a throw against the grain to DeAndre Moore Jr. (74 yards on three receptions, all of which were touchdowns) in the back of the end zone.
Those four plays went a long way toward helping No. 17 Texas (8-3, 5-2 SEC) turn a shootout with Arkansas (2-9, 0-7) into a blowout victory. A team that’s found it hard to put together sequences of ideal complementary football this season did so, putting a frustratingly erratic first half in the rearview mirror.
***
While accounting for six touchdowns, one of which featured him being on the receiving end of a 4-yard touchdown pass by Parker Livingstone (two catches for 104 yards and a touchdown), Manning was magnificent.
Manning and Steve Sarkisian attacked a porous Razorback secondary, successfully hunting explosive plays. The Longhorns came into the day with 19 pass completions of 30 or more yards in their first 10 games; Manning connected with four different receivers on five 30-plus-yard completions en route to a career-high 389 yards on an 18-for-30 effort.
Manning's play is elevating the offense and lifting those around him. Although he’s still dealing with dirty pockets and too many dropped passes, the game is slowing down for Manning as he turns the page and begins preparing to face Mike Elko’s Texas A&M defense next Friday in the regular-season finale.
***
The Arkansas offense is one of the most explosive in the country. Still, the Texas defense surrendering 37 points, 512 total yards and 324 yards through the air (the third time in the last four games an opponent has thrown for 300 or more yards against the Longhorns) is gross and doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence in next week’s showdown with the Aggies’ potent attack.
To the defense’s credit, the Razorbacks averaged 2.2 yards per rushing attempt in the second half (31 net yards on 14 carries) after gashing Texas for 157 (9.2 yards per carry) in the first half. After three runs from scrimmage of at least 20 yards in the first half, Arkansas didn’t notch an explosive run after halftime until a 12-yard scramble by KJ Jackson reached the end zone in the fourth quarter.
Regardless, the concern coming out of the game for Pete Kwiatkowski’s group is two-fold.
For starters, the Razorbacks shredded Texas in the middle of the field, specifically with their tight ends (Rohan Jones and Jaden Platt combined for 148 yards and a touchdown on nine catches). On top of the defense’s lingering coverage issues, Anthony Hill Jr.’s health and Ty’Anthony Smith’s third-quarter ejection for targeting made the Longhorns a less versatile, less athletic group that was easier to attack at the second level.
The availability of the Kwiatkowski's linebackers is arguably the most significant storyline heading into the Texas A&M game.
***
Even with Wisner (67 yards on 15 carries) looking strong at times in the second half, Texas became the first FBS defense to rush for less than 100 yards against Arkansas this season (97 net yards on 28 carries). Still, Wisner and CJ Baxter Jr. (24 yards on seven carries), combining for 91 yards on 22 carries, is what the offense needs from the running backs to achieve balance and relieve pressure on Manning, which hasn’t happened often enough this season.
***
Kade Phillips and Graceson Littleton combined for five of the defense’s seven pass breakups. The snaps those two continue to log will set the tone for the 2026 season, one in which the Longhorns need playmakers to emerge on the back end.
***
Overall, a 15-point win over the worst team was a microcosm of the 2025 season for the Longhorns.
The game started with the offense on fire and the defense on its heels. When the defense settled in, the offense got stagnant.
From the closing minutes of the first half to the 11:30 mark of the fourth quarter (Liona Lefau's 52-yard fumble return for a touchdown off a strip sack by Simmons put Texas up by 29 points, 52-23), however, Sarkisian's club did what it had to, on both sides of the ball, to bury an inferior opponent.
The defense allowed two late scoring drives, dampening a performance in which the unit shook off a forgettable start.
Texas needed every one of the 490 total yards (8.3 yards per play) the offense racked up to put away the Razorbacks. The offense ran roughshod in the third quarter, scoring 21 points and averaging 10.9 yards per play.
The first three quarters of the Vanderbilt game were likely this team at its peak. Nevertheless, the stretches when the Longhorns are clicking on cylinders are why the burnt orange faithful can hang onto hope of Texas ending the regular season with a bang by spoiling the Aggies' perfect season.
- Read more...
- 41 comments
- 1080 views