Texas is heading back under the national spotlight, and ABC is putting the Longhorns’ Oct. 24 showdown with Ole Miss front and center.
The Southeastern Conference announced that Texas will host No. 9 Ole Miss on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 6:30 p.m.
CT at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The game will air nationally on ABC, giving Steve Sarkisian’s team another chance to step into a prime-time showcase.
There’s plenty riding on it already. Texas is 4-1 after seeing its unbeaten start end in a 27-24 loss to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry, a defeat that brought renewed scrutiny to Arch Manning and an offense that has not found steady rhythm.
Manning has thrown for 1,122 yards and 10 touchdown passes through five games.
Ole Miss comes in with a 4-1 record of its own under first-year coach Pete Golding. The Rebels were jolted by a 52-28 loss at Florida, then answered with a 52-17 win over Vanderbilt to get back on track.
Trinidad Chambliss has been a major part of that response. He has passed for 1,435 yards this season and gives Ole Miss a dangerous aerial attack that will test Texas as the SEC schedule tightens.
The matchup also reaches back more than a decade. Texas and Ole Miss have not played since Sept. 14, 2013, when the Rebels came to Austin and beat Mack Brown’s Longhorns 44-23.
Texas led that game 23-17 at halftime, but Ole Miss flipped it fast. The Rebels ripped off 30 straight points, 20 of them in the third quarter, and Texas was held scoreless after halftime.
That loss came in Brown’s final season in Austin and became another tough entry in a rough year for the program.
Before the Longhorns and Rebels meet, both teams still have business to handle. Texas hosts Florida this Saturday, while Ole Miss plays No.
13 Missouri in Oxford. Those games could shake up the rankings and the SEC picture before Oct. 24 arrives.
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The timing only made the discussion louder after Texas recent loss to Oklahoma, where Manning threw two interceptions and again showed the inconsistency that has defined his opening stretch. Jeremiah Smith, the Ohio State wide receiver, sits atop Kipers list, while Manning is left outside the group and facing a much bigger debate about whether the preseason expectations around him still match what has unfolded on the field. [Read more 🡒]
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The recruiting picture is still taking shape, but Florida is currently viewed as the leader, which gives Texas plenty of ground to make up. For the Longhorns, the offer is another sign that they are moving aggressively on a player whose frame and potential fit the kind of defensive line profile they want to keep adding. [Read more 🡒]