A week of buildup around a different version of Arch Manning and the pressure Steve Sarkisian was facing in regard to this offense showing up for all four quarters was nearing a combustable stage against Pete Golding's Rebels on Saturday night.This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners.If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated.
This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom.Just when you thought this Texas team had shown us every possible way to blow a lead, it found a new one Saturday night in Austin.DID WE CREATE A MONSTER? ARCH MANNING’S ‘AW SHUCKS’ PERSONA IS GONE BEFORE MUST-WIN OLE MISS GAMERacing out to a 24-3 lead, thanks to Arch Manning looking like the quarterback NFL scouts were drooling over in the preseason, this game felt like a blowout waiting to happen.For the folks at home, we had seen this movie numerous times over the 2026 season.Texas gets a lead, and then throws it away in the second half.
We had seen it against Oklahoma and Florida over the past three weeks.Arch Manning #16 of the Texas Longhorns hands off to Raleek Brown #0 in the second quarter against the Ole Miss Rebels at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Oct.24, 2026, in Austin, Texas.
(Getty Images)If worried Longhorn fans thought they were going to catch a break in the second half, they were sorely mistaken.Texas managed just 19 yards in the third quarter while Ole Miss scored 14 points.It was the Rebels scoring 21 unanswered points that had Texas fans going through another anxiety-filled evening, waiting for the other shoe to drop that it had seen too many times this season.
When Arch Manning went cold, Trinidad Chambliss heated up.By now, the Longhorns should come with a disclaimer warning that any lead could turn into a tie at any moment.And you can’t blame the Will Muschamp-coached defense, considering how much time it spends on the field every week.A tale of two halves was once ag...