Texas ran into a buzzsaw in Nashville on Friday night, dropping its final road match of the regular season to No. 1/1 Vanderbilt, 5-0, at Vanderbilt Soccer Complex.
Even with the lopsided result, the Longhorns still punched their ticket to the SEC Soccer Tournament in Pensacola, Fla. Texas is now 8-4-4 overall and 3-3-3 in SEC play.
Vanderbilt, meanwhile, kept rolling all the way to its first SEC regular season title since 2018. The Commodores improved to 15-0-1 overall and 8-0-1 in the league.
The game started getting away from Texas early. Melania Fullerton opened the scoring in the 14th minute, collecting a loose ball after an attempted clearance and driving a low shot into the bottom left corner for her fourth goal of the year.
Vanderbilt then doubled its lead just before halftime when Lydia Ungashick headed in a cross from Courtney Jones. It was Ungashick’s second goal of the season and gave the Commodores a comfortable cushion heading into the break.
The second half brought more of the same. Mia Hebert made it 3-0 with a flashy finish after creating space for herself and slipping a left-footed shot under the bar. Then Margo Matula added another in the 72nd minute off a corner kick, finishing from inside the six-yard box after the ball bounced around in the area.
Four minutes later, Sydney Watts capped the scoring with her team-leading 15th goal of the season, hammering a left-footed rocket into the bottom left corner.
Texas goalkeeper Bayliss Flynn still had plenty to do, and she finished with a season-high nine saves in the loss.
In Other News...
Arch Manning Is Showing Texas Something Different At A Crucial Time
Arch Manning has been drawing a different kind of attention around Texas this week, and Steve Sarkisian noticed it during practice. After a rough stretch and a two-game losing streak, the Longhorns are looking for a spark from their quarterback, and Sarkisian said Manning has looked edgy in practice as the team tries to steady itself before Ole Miss.
Sarkisian sounded optimistic that Manning can turn that edge into production when it matters most. He also pointed to backup KJ Lacey as a steady presence behind the scenes, praising the freshman's solid play and coachability this season, a small but meaningful reminder that Texas is still trying to sort out its quarterback room while the pressure keeps building. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Legend Sparks SEC QB Debate With Arch Manning Shot
David Pollacks latest SEC quarterback rundown landed with some weight, especially in Texas circles, because it came with a clear endorsement of Georgias Gunner Stockton and a sharp critique of Arch Manning. Pollack, who has long had a strong feel for the leagues biggest quarterbacks, stuck with Stockton even after a rough outing, framing the Georgia signal-caller as someone he still trusts as the games get bigger and the pressure rises.
For Texas, the more pointed part of the discussion was the Manning evaluation. Pollack pointed to an underwhelming performance and issues in key games during Mannings second full season as a starter, a reminder that the scrutiny around the Longhorns quarterback is only growing. With Texas always measured against the SECs best, comments like that add another layer to the conversation about how Manning stacks up when the spotlight is brightest. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Must Face A Recruiting Miss At The Worst Time
Kewan Lacys path to this point carries a little extra sting for Texas. The Dallas native and Ole Miss running back was a three-star prospect who had long wanted to play for the Longhorns, but Steve Sarkisian and his staff never extended a scholarship offer. Now Lacy has turned into a productive piece for the Rebels, and Texas is set to see him up close in a matchup that arrives with plenty on the line for both sides.
The Longhorns meet Ole Miss on Oct. 24 in a game scheduled for ABC, and the timing could hardly be worse for Texas. Its defense is already dealing with injuries to key players, which puts even more pressure on a unit trying to hold up against an offense featuring a runner it once passed on. For Texas, it is the kind of recruiting miss that can feel much bigger when the calendar finally circles back. [Read more 🡒]