Texas left Oxford with a needed 34-27 win over a then-top-10 Ole Miss team, and that part matters. The Longhorns stopped a two-game slide, avoided their first three-game skid of the season, and got back in the win column. But the bigger story coming out of Saturday is hard to ignore: this team keeps building cushions, then letting the game drift right back into danger.
That pattern showed up again against the Rebels. Texas opened a 24-3 lead in the first half, only to watch Ole Miss rip off 17 straight points starting in the third quarter.
The Rebels took the second-half momentum quickly, turning a strip-sack fumble into a touchdown and then marching 80 yards in 10 plays for another score. Just like that, a 21-point lead was down to a single touchdown.
The Longhorns were sharp before halftime. They scored on all but four first-half drives, controlled the flow of the game, and kept Trinidad Chambliss and the Ole Miss offense from settling in.
Then came the familiar dip after the break. Texas went scoreless on all four of its third-quarter possessions, and three of those drives ended in punts.
The other? Arch Manning’s strip-sack fumble.
Manning has taken plenty of heat, and he did have a fourth-quarter turnover that nearly opened the door for Ole Miss. But he is not the only issue here. Texas’ third-quarter offense has been a problem for three straight games, and Saturday fit the same script.
Against Oklahoma in Dallas, the Sooners forced punts on all three Texas third-quarter drives. A week later, Florida produced three-and-outs on both of the Longhorns’ possessions in that period.
The numbers back up the eye test too. Per TeamRankings, Texas averages only 3.9 points in the third quarter, which ranks 110th nationally.
By comparison, the Longhorns average 8.3 points in the first quarter, 8.7 in the second, and 9.9 in the fourth.
So while Saturday ended with a win, it didn’t answer the most pressing question around this team. Texas keeps letting opponents back into games after strong starts, and that’s a dangerous habit.
The Longhorns got away with it against Ole Miss. They can’t expect that to keep happening.
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 🡒]