Texas does not get much time to sit with what went wrong. After back-to-back 27-24 losses to Oklahoma and Florida, the Longhorns are staring down another ranked SEC opponent, and this one brings a very different kind of challenge to Austin.
No. 7 Ole Miss comes in Saturday, Oct. 24, fresh off a 31-3 win over No.
13 Missouri. The Rebels are 5-1 overall and 3-1 in SEC play, and they arrive with a run game that can dictate the entire rhythm of the night.
That starts with Kewan Lacy, the name Texas has to circle first. Against Missouri, he ran for 122 yards as Ole Miss rolled up 257 rushing yards as a team. That kind of production let the Rebels control tempo, stay balanced and keep Missouri from ever clawing back into the game.
For Texas, the job begins at the line of scrimmage. The Longhorns cannot let Lacy get into space cleanly or turn ordinary carries into chunk plays, and that task gets tougher with the news that Colin Simmons is out for the next three to four weeks. Texas’ linebackers will need to diagnose quickly, while the defensive front has to stay true to its gaps and avoid giving Lacy easy creases.
If the run game gets rolling, Trinidad Chambliss becomes even harder to deal with. He threw for 241 yards and three touchdowns against Missouri and also ran for a score, giving Ole Miss another layer once defenses have to commit to stopping the ground attack. His mobility means Texas cannot lose discipline when plays break down.
Ole Miss’ only loss also came against Florida, a 52-28 defeat that gives Texas one common opponent to examine. It is not a clean roadmap, though.
The teams are built differently, and the games played out in different settings. Still, Florida’s approach against the Rebels may offer Texas some hints about where the openings could be.
The Rebels are now led by head coach Pete Golding after Lane Kiffin’s departure, and the offense has kept humming under his watch. Against Missouri, that balance showed up again in a performance that looked every bit like a team in control of its identity.
Steve Sarkisian is trying to get Texas stabilized after those late-game collapses, and the formula this week is clear enough: sustain drives, protect the football and keep the defense out of bad spots. The Longhorns have been undone by the fourth quarter twice in a row, and that is exactly the kind of pattern they have to break now.
Saturday’s game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC at Darrell K.
Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The programs have not met since 2013, so Texas is still learning what this new SEC test looks like.
A fast start will not be enough for the Longhorns. They need four quarters of discipline, and that means slowing Lacy, limiting Chambliss and finally finishing a game the way they have not over the last two weeks.
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Arch Manning's Slide Is Fueling A Bigger Texas Quarterback Debate
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Harris went after Mannings mechanics, game management and overall play, calling him a below-average quarterback in his current form, and the reaction online only widened the discussion. Some fans have wondered whether the last name is keeping him from being benched, while others are already looking years ahead and debating whether he should declare for the 2027 NFL Draft or spend another season in college. For Texas, the bigger issue is no longer just how Manning plays next week, but how long this conversation can hang over the offense before it starts to shape decisions. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Sarkisian And Arch Manning Face A Texas Debate Thats Growing
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Arch Manning is part of that debate, too, because the quarterback play did not lift Texas out of its slump. With Sarkisians play-calling under scrutiny and the attack sputtering again, the Longhorns are left trying to sort out whether the fix comes from better execution, a different approach, or both as the season starts to demand a response. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Volleyball Let A Statement Win Slip Away At Home
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The result leaves Texas with a reminder of how thin the margin can be against elite opponents, especially when a lead does not quite hold long enough to matter. There were positives beyond the final score, including production from several Longhorns in all-around roles, and the next chance to reset comes on the road against South Carolina. [Read more 🡒]