No. 10 Texas rallied from a second-half deficit to defeat No. 19 Missouri 34-20 on Saturday at Faurot Field, keeping its College Football Playoff hopes alive. The Longhorns (7-2, 4-2 SEC) scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, led by quarterback Arch Manning, who completed 28 of 38 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian praised his team's resilience after overcoming turnovers and penalties. "I'm very proud of the way they hung together, the way they responded to adversity," Sarkisian said. The Longhorns entered the game ranked No. 7 in the initial CFP rankings, knowing a third loss could damage their postseason aspirations.
Missouri opened the scoring with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Austin Simmons to Brett Norfleet on fourth-and-goal. Texas answered with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Derrek Cooper, but a fumble by Emmett Mosley gave Missouri a field goal for a 10-7 lead. Penalties plagued Texas in the first half, with five flags for 50 yards, yet the teams went into halftime tied 10-10 after a Gianni Spetic field goal.
The Tigers regained the lead in the third quarter on a 72-yard touchdown pass from Simmons to Naeshaun Montgomery, making it 20-13. Texas responded with a 75-yard drive capped by a 25-yard Manning-to-Jermaine Bishop touchdown to tie the game at 20-20 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Longhorns took their first lead with 5:03 remaining when Manning connected with Raleek Brown for a 23-yard touchdown pass. A crucial interception by defensive back Graceson Littleton with 1:41 left set up Brown's 8-yard touchdown run to seal the victory. The win marked Texas' sixth consecutive victory over a Top 25 opponent.
