No. 7 Texas walked out of Saturday with a 34-20 win over No.
18 Missouri, and the final score only tells part of the story. Steve Sarkisian’s team strung together 21 unanswered points to pull away, turning a tight game into another strong entry on a résumé that keeps getting better.
The Longhorns also gave themselves plenty of unnecessary stress along the way. After the defense came up with a huge stop and handed the ball back with 3:42 remaining, Texas had a chance to bleed the clock and finish cleanly.
Instead, the drive got messy fast. Raleek Brown gained six yards on first down, but a holding call was declined and turned into a tackle for loss.
Then Michael Masunas was flagged for a false start, flipping a 3rd and 5 into a 3rd and 10. Missouri even had a chance to hand the ball right back on a muffed punt, but Texas couldn’t fall on it, leaving the finish far more dramatic than it needed to be.
Penalties were a big part of the game’s storyline, and Texas did itself no favors there. The Longhorns were flagged six times for 65 yards, including one penalty that wiped out a 34-yard gain on offense.
On defense, all three Texas penalties gave Missouri automatic first downs. It was the kind of self-inflicted damage that can swing a game if the Longhorns don’t close the door.
What made the difference was that Texas finally got the kind of quarterback play it has been waiting for from Arch Manning. For much of the season, the defense has carried the load while the offense, and Manning in particular, has come up short in key moments. That wasn’t the case against Missouri.
Manning stayed composed and kept the offense moving for most of the afternoon in one of his best outings of the year. His 23-yard touchdown pass to Raleek Brown gave Texas the lead and felt like a release for a team that needed one.
Manning finished with 297 yards and three touchdowns, completed 74 percent of his passes, and looked like the elite quarterback Texas fans expected. He was more decisive, more willing to take the easy yards, and he protected the football while distributing it well.
Six players caught multiple passes, and Jermaine Bishop and Raleek Brown both found the end zone.
Texas also showed it could close. That had been a major problem in both of its losses this season, but not here.
The Longhorns tied the game with five minutes left, forced Missouri into a three-and-out, then picked off the next possession and turned it into Brown’s touchdown run. After that, they shut down Missouri’s final drive and ended the game in victory formation.
It wasn’t always clean, but Texas finished the job. That’s the part Sarkisian has been chasing: a defense that squeezes the life out of opponents and an offense that can strike hard enough to turn big games into comfortable wins.
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