Skip to content

Texas Longhorns News

A place for any Longhorn Fan to get the latest news from the On Texas Football team.
Show all categories

Arch Manning joins Texas' 20-win club

Arch Manning’s 6-for-8, 51-yard performance on the game-winning drive in No. 6 Texas’ 22-21 comeback victory over No. 21 LSU on Saturday, including a 4-yard touchdown pass to Raleek Brown with two seconds on the clock, will go down as one of the most memorable sequences in program history.
Along with keeping the Longhorns alive for a trip to the SEC championship game and a berth in the College Football Playoff, Manning became the 12th quarterback in school history to join the 20-win club.
Manning, who has a 9-2 record against Associated Press Top 25 opponents, is tied with James Street for the 11th-most wins all-time on the Forty Acres. If Manning ends the regular season by leading Texas (8-2, 5-2 SEC) to wins over Arkansas and Texas A&M, he’ll tie Major Applewhite (22 wins) for 10th place on the school’s all-time wins list, with a chance to James Brown and Peter Gardere (25 wins) for eighth place if the Longhorns make a run in the CFP.
TEXAS’ 20-WIN QUARTERBACKS
1. Colt McCoy — 45 wins
2. Vince Young — 30 wins
3. Bobby Layne — 28 wins
T-4. Quinn Ewers, Sam Ehlinger — 27 wins
T-6. Chris Simms, Marty Akins — 26 wins
T-8. James Brown, Peter Gardere — 25 wins
10. Major Applewhite — 22 wins
T-11. ARCH MANNING, James Street — 20 wins
Among the 12 Longhorn quarterbacks with 20 or more career wins, Manning ranks sixth in winning percentage.
TEXAS WINNING PERCENTAGE LEADERS (minimum 20 wins)
1. James Street — 1.000 (20-0)
2. Vince Young — .938 (30-2)
3. Colt McCoy — .849 (45-8)
4. Bobby Layne — .824 (28-6)
5. Chris Simms — .813 (26-6)
6. ARCH MANNING — .800 (20-5)
7. Quinn Ewers — .750 (27-9)
8. Marty Akins — .743 (26-9)
9. Major Applewhite — .733 (22-8)
10. James Brown — .641 (25-13-1)
11. Sam Ehlinger — .628 (27-16)
12. Peter Gardere — .610 (25-16)
After his 19-for-35 effort through the air, with 174 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions (along with a rushing touchdown), Manning climbed the school’s all-time charts in other statistical categories.
— Manning’s 6,330 career passing yards are the eighth-most in school history. He’s 768 yards away from passing Simms for seventh place.
— Manning has 498 career completions, putting him 64 shy of passing Gardere (561 completions) for fifth place.
— Manning’s 54th career touchdown pass broke a tie with Brown for the sixth-most in school history. He’s four touchdown passes away from passing Simms (58) for fifth place.
Jeff Howe

For Texas, team success against LSU rooted in first-down efficiency on offense

AUSTIN, Texas — Steve Sarkisian didn’t explicitly say he’s toning down his aggressive approach on offense to put an elite Texas defense in the best position to succeed.
Still, on Monday, when asked about kicking a field goal on fourth-and-1 from the Missouri 9-yard line late in the first half of last Saturday’s 34-20 road win, Sarkisian acknowledged that playing the long game was the right move. Instead of gambling and potentially delivering a haymaker, Sarkisian didn’t want to give the Tigers the momentum that would’ve come with forcing a turnover on downs.
“I felt like our best football was still in front of us,” Sarkisian said. “I think about the 10 points they scored in the first half: the first drive, we get a hands-of-the-face penalty, we get a defensive pass interference penalty, they score on fourth-and-2. The next drive, when they get the field goal, we get a facemask penalty. It was like, if we can just settle in defensively — and I felt like there was some missed ops for us offensively — that we could kind of take control of the game that way.”
Gianni Spetic’s 27-yard field goal tied the game at halftime, 10-10. With Ryan Niblett’s fumbled kickoff return contributing to the 11 plays Missouri ran across two possessions before the Texas offense took the field in the second half, Sarkisian’s patience and willingness to take the points paid off for the Longhorns.
To replicate the results, Sarkisian’s patience must travel with No. 6 Texas (7-2, 4-2 SEC) when it faces No. 21 LSU (6-3, 3-3) at Tiger Stadium on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ABC). Sarkisian’s mindset shift was most noticeable on first down, which set the tone for arguably the offense’s most efficient wire-to-wire performance of the season.
While Texas’ average of 5.1 yards per play on first down was its third-lowest of the season (4.7 against Ohio State and 4.7 against Tennessee), a season-high first-down passing rate of 54.8 percent (17 of the offense’s 31 first-down snaps were pass attempts) helped the Longhorns stay on schedule. Sarkisian got away from hunting first downs on early downs (four of 21 first downs occurred on first down, a season-low 19 percent) and, although the offense faced its second-highest to-go distance on third down this season (8.2 yards), Texas had its third-highest third-down conversion rate (6-for-13, 46.2 percent); third-lowest three-and-out rate (2-of-13, 15.4 percent) and third-highest scoring drive percentage (46.2 percent, with six of 13 drives netting points) through nine games.
Arch Manning, named SEC Offensive Player of the Week after a 28-for-38 day, with 297 yards and three touchdowns against the Tigers, set season highs for first-down completions (12) and passing yards (130). Sarkisian lauded Manning's ability to keep the offense ahead of the chains by checking down to his tight ends and running backs.
“I know sometimes those aren't always the sexiest plays, but you throw a completion to your running back on first-and-10, he gets six yards, you play second-and-4,” Sarkisian said. “That's winning football.”
The Longhorns recorded an explosive play (a rushing attempt of 10 or more yards and a pass completion of 15 or more yards) on nine of their 69 snaps, a season-low rate of 13 percent. Nevertheless, Sarkisian’s decision to value efficiency over explosiveness eventually paid off, with Manning and the offense making their big plays count. Texas’ four explosive plays in the second half (including a 25-yard touchdown reception by Jermaine Bishop Jr. and Raleek Brown’s 23-yard touchdown catch) were its most this season against a Power Four opponent and its highest total in any second half since the season opener against Texas State (six).
“I also thought he was aggressive and took his shots when they were there,” Sarkisian said of Manning, who completed three of his seven pass attempts that traveled 20 yards or more downfield (according to Pro Football Focus) for 42 yards and two touchdowns. Instead of forcing the issue, Manning’s willingness to dump the ball down combined with how effectively the Longhorns ran the football (105 sack-adjusted rushing yards and 3.8 yards per attempt) created explosive play opportunities.
“There were shots there, but I also thought he was really efficient,” Sarkisian said.
Those numbers are great for the offense. If they can be replicated, they'll help the defense against one of the nation's top offenses on Saturday.
With Texas running a season-high 50.7 percent of its offensive plays on the opponent’s side of the field (35 of 69), the defense benefitted from rare wins in field position and play differential.
Auburn’s defense is the only unit in the SEC that’s been on the field more than the Longhorn defense in conference play, with Texas defending 71.7 snaps per game against SEC foes. The Longhorns were on the field for 68 snaps against Missouri, with 39.7 percent of those plays (27 of 68) coming on Texas’ side of the field; none of the Tigers’ 20 snaps after scoring on a 72-yard touchdown with 4:02 remaining in the third quarter occurred in Longhorn territory.
Texas heads into the LSU game with the largest negative play differential of any SEC team in conference games. On average, league opponents run 11.3 more plays per game than the Longhorns, with Florida’s plus-31 play differential at DKR highlighting how much Texas has struggled to play complementary football. LSU hasn’t had those issues, leading the SEC in play differential for the season (plus-179, plus-19.9 plays per game) and ranking second in conference play (plus-50, plus-8.3 plays per game).
It will be a tough challenge for the Longhorns to keep Sam Leavitt and the Tigers’ offense off the field and out of the end zone without giving up short fields or playing sudden-change defense after a turnover. Although Texas has had issues taking care of the football in 2026 (only Oklahoma and Vanderbilt have committed more turnovers among SEC offenses than the Longhorns’ 14), Sarkisian showing more patience than Lane Kiffin will go a long way toward picking up what would be a monumental road win.
Whereas LSU is one of 35 FBS offenses to attempt a fourth-down conversion at least 20 times this season (65 percent conversion rate ranks No. 30 nationally), only three SEC offenses have tried to move the chains on fourth down fewer times than Texas, which has tried to convert a league-low five times on fourth down in conference play. Sarkisian is willing to lean on an elite defense to position the Longhorns for a return to the College Football Playoff while continuing to find the right buttons to push on offense.
“It's not hard for me to kick a field goal or to punt,” Sarkisian said. “Hey, do I like going for it? Sure. I think it's a sign. I think it sends a great message to our team that we believe in them. But at the same notion, I don't want them to feel like their coach is reckless, that he's trying to put us in the best position to be successful and win the game. That's what we try to do.”
Jeff Howe

Wednesday Night SEC Availability Report | Texas vs. LSU

Wednesday Night Availability Report
The Wednesday evening SEC Availability report has released.
Texas is heading to LSU with a healthier looking report than they began the week of prep for Missouri with, which is certainly an encouraging sign.
Hero Kanu is the only player listed as questionable. Quite a change from a week ago.

CJ Vogel

Wednesday - Portal Moves

Today is National Signing Day for non-football sports.
Gerry, Jordan and the guys are going to be running a thread on the message board chronicling all the new talent headed to Austin in multiple sports.
Make sure you check it out.
**
We’re just a month and a half from the football transfer portal opening.
So what are the plans of the Longhorns?
As we’ve mentioned previously, retention will be priority one for the defense. There are multiple players who could move on that Texas would probably like to stay around (Derek Williams, Bo Mascoe, Colton Vasek, Rasheem Biles, etc.).
On offense, they’ll be looking for pieces to the puzzle across the board.
An older high-end receiver with route-running skills and explosiveness would make a lot of sense to pair with Emmett Mosley and Jermaine Bishop.
Offensive line needs must be evaluated internally. And some of that evaluation is ongoing.
Has Andre Cojoe played well enough to take over full time next year? Does Texas project Jackson Christian and Jordan Coleman as guys who are ready to start next season?
It’s also likely Texas will need an older tight end to backfill the room.
**
One key player on defense who could return is Bo Mascoe.
Mascoe has proven invaluable to the Texas secondary because he can play corner and nickel. Mascoe seems currently inclined to go pro.
Yet if he stays and plays nickel, it might allow Graceson Littleton to push back to the middle-field safety to replace Jelani McDonald.
Littleton and Mascoe are Swiss Army knives. They can both play anywhere in the secondary and give Will Muschamp versatility and the ability to disguise coverages.
We’ll have more and deeper portal coverage in the next couple of weeks as the time for it draws nearer.
But it’s safe to say that behind the scenes, the Texas personnel department is already working overtime on it currently.
Hook’Em!
Bobby Burton

Tuesday Practice Note | Tuesday 3:00 p.m.

I know how you all get about hearing about good practices, so I will keep this one brief –
Steve Sarkisian during his press conference on Monday said "Tuesday has got to be a bloody Tuesday. It's got to be tough, it's got to be physical, it's got to be intense."
Well, a source indicated to me this afternoon that Tuesday morning's practice had an extreme amount of energy and excitement surrounding it.
While this week's practice did not exactly include the skirmishes as last week's Bloody Tuesday, there remained an extremely high level of competition. Beyond anything, I was told there was a lot of hootin' and hollerin' from the players, and positive energy from the coaching staff.
**
Additionally –
• DL Hero Kanu practiced fully according to a source.
• WR Cam Coleman was in a green, non-contact jersey, but participated in the practice as well.
CJ Vogel

Tuesday - Two Questions

I asked Steve Sarkisian two questions at yesterday’s press conference:
1. Was the Missouri game the best example of a complementary game from his offense and defense this year?
2. Can we expect to continue to see more of Jermaine Bishop moving forward?
In short, the answers to both were yes.
He provided some color for his reasoning.
As it relates to complimentary play, he mentioned not only the overall effectiveness of the offense and defense but also called out the resiliency of each unit and specific players.
For example, Warren Roberson was picked on early. He made perhaps the game’s deciding play.
Ryan Niblett fumbled a kickoff but redeemed himself by making a big tackle downfield later.
And after that fumbled kick return, Sark recalled that the defense responded with a three-and-out and Mizzou missed a field goal.
As for Bishop’s future, I thought Sark gave the freshman the biggest compliment he can give a talented, young offensive player.
“The moment is never too big for him,” he said of Bishop after also talking about how he’s made the most of his opportunities.
**
Put “the moment is never too big for him” in the quote closet for Sark.
But my favorite so far this year is his description of Rasheem Biles:
“He’s a problem.”
**
I went to the basketball game last night.
For those that know the sport and the Longhorns, please fill in the blank for me.
Matas Vokietaitis is the most dominant Texas men’s basketball player since ______________.
**
At one point in the second half, there were four Texas freshmen on the floor at the same time as Vokietaitis. Texas was pounding the rock inside and swishing threes on the outside.
I mentioned it to Texas GM Chris Ogden on the way out the door of the Moody last night and he was smiling about it.
I’ll add this:
I know it’s still early but there is zero question in my mind that the 2026 basketball recruiting class is the best since 2006, which was the Kevin Durant, DJ Augustin class.
Texas signed four freshmen who all have a distinct role on this team.
Marcus Spears may be the most athletic, tall wing player the Horns have ever had. Ever.
Austin Goosby matches his basketball ability with a strong basketball IQ.
Joe Sterling is an absolute sniper behind the arc.
And Bo Ogden seems to do a lot of things well, including the stuff that isn’t always picked up in the stat sheet.
**
LSU painted the opposing locker room pink prior to the Alabama game.
That didn’t seem to work.
**
I spoke to Michael Masunas yesterday for Longhorn Network.
After the interview he said he was surprised that no media member had asked him about Sam Leavitt, the LSU quarterback.
I asked him why.
He said the two were teammates at Michigan State and he knew him pretty well.
Also of note: Masunas is a fifth-year senior but has a medical year if he decides to use one next season.
Hook’Em!

Bobby Burton

No. 7 Texas 93, Grambling State 62: Postgame discussion, reactions

AUSTIN, Texas — With a game-high 26 points by Matas Vokietaitis leading five players in double figures, No. 7 Texas rolled to a 93-62 win over Grambling State on Monday.
The Longhorns never trailed in their last tune-up before facing their first Power Four opponent of the season. Texas (3-0) will face Baylor at San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center on Sunday, renewing a rivalry that was put on the shelf after the Longhorns left the Big 12 for the SEC after the 2023-24 season.
While Vokietaitis led Texas in scoring, Sean Miller’s talented freshmen made their presence felt. Joe Sterling (13 points, 3-for-4 from 3-point range and two steals) and Marcus Spears Jr. (12 points, four rebounds and two assists) reached double figures in scoring, with Austin Goosby and Bo Ogden making the most of the minutes they’re getting as Mikey Lewis recovers from a foot injury, which required surgery (Oct. 1).
Vokietaitis recorded at least 10 points and five rebounds for the 18th consecutive regular-season game. He has the longest such streak by a Texas player since Kevin Durant reached those marks in the last 21 games of his lone season on the Forty Acres.
Jeff Howe

Sunday - He Found Something

If you want to see a coach that is the very definition of competitive, take a look at the short video of Steve Sarkisian below.
Winning clearly meant something to him, something very deep. Almost like he was exorcising some football demons.
**
I believe it meant something special to him yesterday because, at least in part, he knows he helped put his players, his quarterback in particular, in a position to succeed.
And his quarterback and his offense answered the bell in a big way.
As a coach, I’m not sure there’s a better feeling than that.
It’s something Sark had struggled to get just right all season. Arch, the OL and some dropped passes along the way did not help matters.
But when the clock hit double zero in Columbia, the outlook of the 2026 Texas football team felt like it had fundamentally changed.
Why?
The 34 points scored against Ole Miss at home was no longer a fluke. The offense felt like it had created an identity. It was no longer a punching bag of three-and-outs.
Instead, it showed real signs that it could blossom into something truly efficient and at the same time forceful, a unit that can both score points and move the chains.
The emergence and usage of Jermaine Bishop helped. So too did the increased checkdowns to the running backs and tight ends and the steady play of Ryan Wingo and Emmett Mosley V.
The offensive line, in this style of play, felt like it could hold up better. And the emergence of Raleek Brown as a true RB1 rather than a rotation also seemed to provide pop and consistency.
There’s a reason Sark pumped his fists in the air after the win yesterday. The Longhorns may have found a real path forward and to the College Football Playoff.
**
It’s a night-time kick in Baton Rouge.
6:30 on ABC.
The college football world will be watching the Longhorns and Tigers.
This will be a true test of the Texas offense and the Texas defense.
Enjoy your Sunday, folks. The Horns have a big one on Saturday.
Hook’Em!


Bobby Burton

Snap Judgments: No. 7 Texas finishes strong, puts away No. 18 Missouri

Trailing 20-13 with 4:52 left in the third quarter after Missouri’s Naeshaun Montgomery ripped off a 75-yard touchdown, Texas did something I’ve longed to see under Steve Sarkisian.
The Longhorns scored the game’s final 21 points, with 14 in a dominant fourth quarter in Saturday’s 34-20 win over the Tigers in Columbia.
No. 7 Texas (7-2, 4-2 SEC) out-gained 18th-ranked Missouri (6-3, 3-3) by 102 yards (144-42) after falling behind. It played complementary football with Will Muschamp’s defense, which finished strong in the Longhorns’ fourth win of the season over an Associated Press Top 25 opponent.
***
After the Tigers pulled ahead, the Texas defense forced the following outcomes on Missouri’s last five possessions:
— Six plays, punt
— Three-and-out
— Three-and-out
— Three plays, forced fumble (the only turnover forced by the Longhorns)
— Turnover on downs
***
Whether Arch Manning (28-for-38, 297 yards and three touchdowns) fumbled or threw an incomplete pass on third-and-10 from the Tigers’ 39-yard line late in the third quarter will be hotly debated. Still, Emmett Mosley V deserves credit for recovering the football to set up Manning’s game-tying touchdown pass to Jermaine Bishop Jr.
The fortunate sequence gave the Longhorns a chance to close out a quality opponent on the road. Unlike Texas’ wins over Tennessee and Ole Miss, which came down to the last play, the Longhorns were in the victory formation on the last snap of a two-touchdown win over a club that was in the College Football Playoff discussion heading into the weekend.
***
Warren Roberson was picked on throughout the game. While watching the game at OTF Headquarters with Bobby Burton and Rod Babers, Rod reiterated what he mentioned during the second quarter of the “Watch With Us:” If you’re getting picked on as a defensive back, you need to make the opponent pay for it by making a play at some point.
Roberson stepped up when it mattered most.
With Missouri vying for a tying score, Roberson laid the wood to Cayden Lee on third-and-5 catch inside the final two minutes of regulation. Graceson Littleton snagged the loose ball and returned it to the 6-yard line (he should’ve finished off the run in the end zone for a touchdown, but Raleek Brown closed out the scoring three plays later, forcing the Tigers to burn their remaining timeouts).
***
My only legitimate gripe from Saturday’s win is that I can’t believe Sarkisian when he describes the brand of football he wants Texas to play as one that wants to establish the run and play with a physical edge on the ground.
The Longhorns successfully ran the football on Saturday. Brown (85 yards rushing, 23-yard receiving and two touchdowns) had four carries for 36 yards by the 6:43 mark of the first quarter; he had three combined carries in the second and third quarters.
Thankfully, Sarkisian went to Brown in crunch time, putting the ball in his hands five times on a six-play, 54-yard drive, which ended with a 23-yard touchdown catch (Sarkisian drew up a beautiful wheel route for Brown out of the backfield on a score that put Texas ahead for good, 27-20, with 5:03 to play).
***
Manning wasn’t perfect on Saturday, but he’s doing a better job of executing the formula Sarkisian has found that’s worked during the team’s current three-game winning streak. Although the Longhorns still had protection issues on attempted deep shots, the quick game got Manning into a rhythm and opened up the intermediate and deep throws he connected on down the stretch.
***
Even when adjusting Missouri’s rushing yards to exclude sacks, Texas held the Tigers to 94 yards (4.1 yards per attempt). Missouri's 84 net yards (3.5 yards per carry) are the second-fewest for the Tigers this season, with SEC rushing leader Jamal Roberts (66 yards, 3.5 yards per attempt) recording his third-worst outing of the season.
Only three of Missouri’s 23 non-sack rushing attempts went for 10 or more yards.
Even after Ryan Niblett fumbled a kickoff return and Mac Chiumento (36 yards per punt) struggled to flip the field, the Longhorns didn’t lose the kicking-game battle. Missouri missed two field goals and Texas blocked a punt, with Jonathan Cunningham doing the honors in the second quarter.
***
The Longhorns achieved what should’ve been one of their primary objectives on Saturday by winning in the red zone.
Texas went 4-for-4 in the red zone and scored 20 points inside the Tigers’ 20-yard line, improving to an SEC-best 16-for-16 (11 touchdowns) in conference play. Missouri scored only 10 points on three red-zone trips, including a missed field goal.
***
I loved Bo Mascoe's tackle on Lee late in the first half. Lee’s forward progress denied Jelani McDonald a potential long return on a forced fumble. Still, Mascoe denied the Tigers a potential 2-for-1 scoring opportunity by fighting through a block to stop Lee short of a first down on a well-defended perimeter screen.
***
The guys dealing with injuries who tried to play deserve a tip of the cap.
— Littleton had four tackles and set up Brown’s game-ending touchdown run with a fumble return.
— Colin Simmons didn’t look anywhere close to 100 percent healthy. Nevertheless, anybody who wondered whether the future first-round pick would pack it in and preserve his health for the 2027 draft has their answer. It means something to Simmons to wear the burnt orange.
— Ryan Wingo had six catches for 53 yards, including a 12-yard reception two plays before Brown’s go-ahead touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
— Kade Phillips had two tackles and spelled Roberson. He came in for a struggling Roberson and finished off a first-half drive that ended with Missouri missing a field goal.
***
When the Tigers had the ball in a tie game with 9:42 remaining, Juice Cryer’s tackle for loss and Colton Vasek’s sack of Austin Simmons (23-for-43, 252 yards and two touchdowns) led to a critical three-and-out. The offense turned favorable field position into the go-ahead touchdown drive.
***
Good things happened when Sarkisian tried to get the ball to Bishop, who wasn't targeted in the first half. Bishop was targeted five times in the second half, recording four catches for 60 yards and a touchdown.
Bishop also drew a defensive pass interference call on a deep ball, which might've been a touchdown if he hadn't been grabbed.
***
Saturday's win means the rest of the regular season. The Longhorns head to Baton Rouge to face LSU next Saturday, playing with house money; as long as Texas doesn't get blown out, the CFP selection committee has positioned the Longhorns to get into the 12-team field with a 9-3 record.
That's only possible because Texas put its foot on Missouri's throat when it mattered.
Jeff Howe

Saturday - Three Probable

Yesterday morning, I went with the over-under of three of the Texas injured players being able to play today.
Well, three players were moved up from questionable to probable.
Ryan Wingo
Graceson Littleton
Kade Phillips
That means Colin Simmons and Cam Coleman remain questionable and are possible game-time decisions.
**
I think it’s interesting how we got to yesterday’s injury report.
As of yesterday morning, I was told Coleman and Simmons were actually unlikely to play and that one of the DBs was 50-50 at best.
It was somewhat disappointing news overall because early in the week, Texas was hopeful Simmons could play.
**
Now let’s talk about the game itself.
Missouri has an offensive identity. Texas doesn’t, at least not a consistent one.
Missouri has a solid defense. Texas has an elite one.
Special teams feels like a draw, though Texas has had the steadier placekicker thus far.
Both coaches are solid in game and time management IMO.
Texas may have an advantage when it comes to depth of talent. But Missouri is plenty talented to win this game.
Both teams are 6-2. And the game is in Missouri.
On paper, this is a toss-up. In Vegas, it’s the same (Texas favored by just 2.5 points).
The team that wins today will likely get on top early in the contest and then lean into their strengths. For Missouri, that’s its run game. For Texas, it’s the defense.
First one to 17 points wins this game.
I think the ball just might bounce the way of the Longhorns because the Horns’ defense are starting to create turnovers.
Hook’Em!
Bobby Burton

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications
Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.