Texas needed a response on Saturday, and it got one. The Longhorns stopped the skid with a 34-27 win over Ole Miss, snapping a two-game losing streak and keeping their season alive with five regular-season games left.
The best version of Texas showed up early. After a week filled with criticism, the offense came out firing and put 24 points on the board in the first half, enough to open a 21-point lead. Ole Miss stormed back with 24 unanswered points after halftime, but Texas still held on in the end.
That said, the game looked far too familiar at times. Texas repeatedly put itself in danger, just as it had in the previous two losses.
The bigger picture is hard to miss: this team has enough talent to beat almost anybody. The roster is loaded with the kind of players many thought could carry Texas deep into the season, and that same group was behind the stunning fourth-quarter comeback against Ohio State.
So the path is there for Texas to navigate a tough SEC slate and push into the College Football Playoff. But the Longhorns’ most stubborn opponent isn’t on the schedule. It’s the Longhorns themselves.
Turnovers have been a problem all season, and Arch Manning added another costly one in the fourth quarter on Saturday. This time, Texas escaped without paying for it the way it did against Oklahoma and Florida.
The penalties, though, were just as damaging. Maybe more so.
Texas gave away 134 yards through penalties against Ole Miss and was flagged 14 times, nearly twice as often as the Rebels. Those mistakes kept Texas from building clean drives and helped Ole Miss stay alive on the other side of the ball.
The first touchdown drive for Ole Miss was especially messy for Texas. The Longhorns handed over free yardage with two defensive pass interference calls and a roughing-the-passer penalty.
And this is not some one-off lapse. It fits a pattern under Steve Sarkisian.
Last season, Texas finished 132nd nationally in penalty yardage per game at 69.7. This year the number has improved only slightly, with the Longhorns ranked 105th nationally and averaging 65.7 yards per game.
In Other News...
Trevor Goosby News Leaves Texas Facing A Bigger NFL Reality
Trevor Goosbys season has come to an abrupt end after the Texas left tackle underwent successful surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon, a procedure performed by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Daniel Cooper. The Longhorns will have to move on without one of their most important blockers the rest of the way, but the bigger picture around Goosby still points well beyond this year.
Even with the injury, he is still projected as a top pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, which says plenty about how scouts view his long-term ceiling. The expectation is for a full recovery with no residual effects, so while Texas has to absorb the immediate loss, Goosbys next chapter remains very much on the radar. [Read more 🡒]
Texas May Have Found A New 2027 WR To Watch Closely
A fresh recruiting target is set to spend time in Austin this weekend, and it could give Texas a better sense of where things stand with one of the more intriguing receivers in the 2027 class. Jacob Thomas, a three-star wideout currently committed to Pittsburgh, plans to visit for the Longhorns game against Mississippi State, giving Steve Sarkisian and his staff a chance to host a top-100 prospect who has already drawn interest from several other programs.
Texas has not offered Thomas yet, but the visit creates a useful window for both sides. He gets a closer look at the program and the atmosphere around game day, while the Longhorns can decide whether his profile is worth a scholarship push as the 2027 board starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Fans May Not Expect How Reachable This Halloween Game Feels
The appetite around Texas football has not cooled at all, even with the calendar still pointing toward the back half of the season. Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium sold out all of its 2026 home games before the year even began, extending a run of full houses to five straight seasons and underscoring just how hard it is to find a seat in Austin once the Longhorns are on the schedule.
Still, the upcoming Texas-Mississippi State matchup is one of those rare games that feels a little more reachable than the average sellout. Tickets are only showing up on resale sites, but the going prices are relatively modest for a Texas home game, with some listings starting under $100 depending on the platform. For fans who want a shot at Halloween weekend in the stadium, this one may be easier on the wallet than most of what comes through Austin. [Read more 🡒]