Texas quarterback Arch Manning opened sharply in Knoxville on Saturday, and edge rusher Colin Simmons matched a single-game school mark with five sacks — but neither headline captures how close the Longhorns came to a collapse.
Top-ranked Texas escaped with a 20-17 win over No. 14 Tennessee after leading by 10 with 5:41 remaining, only to see the Volunteers march the length of the field for a touchdown and recover the ensuing onside kick. That set up a possible game-tying or winning drive in a raucous Neyland Stadium that even had President Donald Trump in attendance. Texas (4-0, 1-0 SEC) survived despite 11 penalties, two turnovers and several special-teams breakdowns, including a Tennessee punt-return touchdown.
Manning — a Heisman contender and notable NFL prospect — was nearly flawless early, completing his first seven throws for 120 yards. He attacked Jim Knowles’ defense from the opening series, hitting Emmett Mosley V on a 43-yard play and Raleek Brown powered in a 9-yard rushing touchdown on the drive. Manning later connected repeatedly with Ryan Wingo and uncorked a 29-yard strike to Jermaine Bishop Jr. to help set up a field goal and a 10-3 halftime lead.
Penalties and ball-security lapses hampered Texas, while the Longhorns’ pass rush routinely disrupted Tennessee. Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon was forced out briefly after a hard tackle on a designed quarterback run, and later backups saw action. Manning threw an interception on a risky play-action attempt into tight coverage, and an errant high snap cost Texas additional yardage on another possession.
Simmons’ antics nearly hurt Texas late in the first half when he drew an unsportsmanlike-conduct flag for a simulated urination celebration after a sack — a stunt that pushed Tennessee into better field position even though it didn’t result in points. He made up for it by finishing with five sacks (three in the second half) as the Longhorns’ defense totaled 10 sacks on the day. Manning finished 14 of 19 for 201 yards with the interception and was sacked six times.
Special teams swung momentum in the third quarter: after Texas was pinned at its 6-yard line, Tennessee’s Qua Moss returned a punt 57 yards for a touchdown to tie the game. Texas answered when Manning and Cam Coleman hooked up on a 30-yard catch-and-run, setting up a 44-yard field goal to retake the lead. Midway through the fourth, Manning and Wingo converted on a third-and-8 and later Brown scored his second rushing touchdown to make it 20-10.
Tennessee then used all three timeouts to fuel a final 10-play, 80-yard drive led by Brandon, who broke a key third-and-12 with a 16-yard scramble and capped the march with a 30-yard touchdown to Mike Matthews. Punter Jackson Ross followed with a successful onside kick that caromed off Wingo and was recovered by linebacker Arion Carter, giving the Vols a minute-plus to try to win it. Texas closed out the game when Jelani McDonald knocked down a final Hail Mary attempt, preserving the 20-17 victory.
Fan take: NFL fans should be watching Arch Manning closely—his poise and downfield accuracy reinforce why he’s a top prospect, but the turnovers, sacks and special-teams issues are reminders scouts will scrutinize his supporting cast and decision-making. Meanwhile, Colin Simmons’ explosive pass-rushing display signals a high-upside edge talent who could soon be on NFL radars and affect how scouts evaluate Texas’ defense moving forward.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
