Texas has spent the week at No. 1, and the Longhorns now get one more nonconference test before the schedule turns brutal. UTSA comes to Austin on Saturday, unbeaten and carrying its own late-game confidence, but Texas has already shown it can survive chaos.
That top ranking came after Texas stunned then-No. 1 Ohio State with a 24-23 comeback on Sept.
- Steve Sarkisian’s team was down 20 points before Arch Manning took over in the fourth quarter, and Hollywood Smothers finished the job with a 1-yard touchdown run and 25 seconds left.
The rally put Texas in rare company. It matched the program’s second-largest fourth-quarter comeback, tying the 2007 comeback against Oklahoma State, and it made the Longhorns the first team in 22 seasons to wipe out a 20-point deficit against an AP No. 1 team. The win also pushed Texas to its third AP No. 1 stretch in the last three seasons.
Sarkisian made it clear Monday that the ranking is only noise if his team doesn’t clean up the details.
"(We) understand the ranking doesn't matter," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday. "If anything, all the ranking does is put a bigger bullseye on you, right?
How we perform is what matters the most. How you prepare, mentally, physically, emotionally, to get ready to play."
The coach’s frustration centered on sloppiness that nearly buried Texas early. The Longhorns had a lost fumble, an interception and a dropped touchdown pass in the first half, and Sarkisian also pointed to other ball-security issues.
"Our ball security is awful right now," Sarkisian said. "We take pride in our ability to take care of the ball.
It wasn't just about the turnovers. It was the other fumbles and the muffed punt.
So we have got to value the football more in the organization than we have through two games."
There’s another area that needs attention, too. Texas is tied for last in the SEC in third-down defense, allowing opponents to move the chains 50% of the time.
"Third down defense has to improve," Sarkisian said. "We're too good up front with our pass rushes. We're too good with our coverages to be last in the Southeastern Conference in third down defense right now."
Manning’s fourth-quarter surge was enough to earn him Southeastern Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors Monday. He finished 23 of 37 for 195 yards and a touchdown, with 83 yards and the score coming in the final quarter as Texas ripped off three straight touchdown drives to close the game. Each march covered at least 72 yards and took 12 plays or more.
UTSA arrives with its own comeback story from Sept. 12. The Roadrunners beat Texas State 31-26 on the road, scoring the winning touchdown when Brandon High Jr. ran 25 yards with 14 seconds left to cap a 14-play, 82-yard drive.
Owen McCown threw for 214 yards and a touchdown in the win, which marked the 100th victory in school history. UTSA opened a season 2-0 for the first time since 2021, when it started 11-0.
"The win gives us a ton of momentum and kind of lifted that road-game, two-minute-drill persona off our back a little bit," McCown said. "For it to happen the way it did is super special."
The Roadrunners have already lost twice to Texas, and the last meeting was ugly. In 2024, the Longhorns rolled to a 56-7 victory.
In Other News...
Steve Sarkisians Two ESPN Interviews Have Texas Fans Saying The Same Thing
Steve Sarkisian left Columbus with a marquee win and, for Texas fans, a couple of television moments that were almost as memorable for how they unfolded as for what was said. During the Longhorns comeback against Ohio State, ESPN caught Sarkisian in two awkward sideline spots, first at halftime with Laura Rutledge and then again after the game with Holly Rowe, giving viewers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how chaotic a big road win can feel in real time.
The halftime interview never really got going because of technical issues, and Rutledge later clarified what went wrong while noting Sarkisian handled the delay patiently. The postgame exchange took a different turn, ending abruptly when Sarkisian shouted and headed off to celebrate with his team, leaving Rowe with a visibly different reaction and plenty of attention on the contrast between the two interviews. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Manning Weighed In As Holly Rowe Faced A Heartbreaking Week
Holly Rowe had a painful week away from the football spotlight after announcing the death of her mother, Diane Buck Rowe-Gandre, and later sharing that the family held a private graveside service in her honor. Rowe described a tribute filled with personal touches, from released butterflies and purple colors to music and Dr. Pepper, offering a glimpse into how her family said goodbye while the college football world kept moving around her.
The timing only added to the unease around Texas after a viral AI-generated video depicted Steve Sarkisian slapping Rowe, coming on the heels of a real postgame moment when Sarkisian walked away from an interview with her. Arch Manning was asked about the controversy during a press conference and later apologized for his reaction, a reminder of how quickly an ugly online moment can spill into the wider conversation around the Longhorns. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Suddenly Has A Coaching Issue Hanging Over UTSA Week
A fresh off-field issue landed on Texas this week when co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach Johnny Nansen was arrested Wednesday evening on a misdemeanor DWI charge. Head coach Steve Sarkisian confirmed the arrest and said the program is still gathering information while monitoring the situation, an unwelcome development as the Longhorns turn their attention to UTSA.
Nansen was not at practice after the arrest, and his status for the upcoming game remains unsettled. For a defense already in game-week preparation mode, the uncertainty adds another layer to a week that was supposed to be focused on cleanup and rhythm, not staffing questions on the sideline. [Read more 🡒]