Texas outlasts Ole Miss: Longhorns blow big lead, lean on ground game late for huge win

Trinidad Chambliss may have had the worst night of his career, but he still did enough to win.

The Ole Miss quarterback threw three interceptions, including a game-ending Hail Mary into the end zone, yet he was on target most of the night. He was 25-of-52 for 250 yards and two touchdowns with the three picks. 

Ole Miss now faces the question of what's next for its rushing attack. The Rebels were held to 3.9 yards per rush. They also lost star running back Kewan Lacy, who had to be carted to the locker room after he was smashed to the ground by four Texas defenders in the third quarter. He managed only 36 yards on 16 carries before the injury.

On Saturday night, the Rebels relied too much, too often, on their quarterback. Several other programs with great defensive lines remain on the schedule.

Two Texas superstars were held out of the game tonight, and two more suffered injuries during the action.

Left tackle Trevor Goosby was carted off the field in the first quarter, and receiver Cam Coleman was helped to the locker room in the third quarter after landing awkwardly on a shoulder.

Remember, the Longhorns came into the game with running back Hollywood Smothers and the nation's leading pass rusher, Colin Simmons, on the bench nursing injuries.

Senior Andre Cojoe stepped in for Goosby and gave up a strip-sack that Ole Miss recovered for a third-quarter touchdown.

It remains to be seen how the Longhorns will absorb the losses in the coming weeks and whether their injuries are serious.

It's not yet Halloween, but Arch Manning's Jekyll-and-Hyde performances continued Saturday night.

The Texas quarterback had a solid performance in the first half, but struggled in the third quarter and finished with three turnovers -- two interceptions and a strip-sack recovered by Ole Miss for a touchdown.

But something new and bright emerged amidst the chaos of the Longhorns' win. The running game is the offense's strength, and Steve Sarkisian might have something to build on as the Longhorns try to get into the CFP.

The Longhorns ran for 121 yards in the decisive fourth quarter, retook the lead and built it back to double digits. Raleek Brown dominated the offense, rushing for 157 yards on 23 carries. His 47-yard burst on the final touchdown drive gave the Longhorns the boost they needed. 

Too often Texas has ditched the running backs in favor of Manning's arm this season. Inconsistent, the offensive line can dominate in bursts, making the ground attack far more effective than passing behind it with an unpredictable quarterback.

Maybe Sark figured that out tonight. Texas ran the ball 42 times and threw 30. Texas entered the week ranked 100th in the country, averaging only 136 rushing yards per game, a figure Brown eclipsed by himself against the Rebels.

Something's brewing for Sark, and he needs to take advantage. Couple a strong running game with Will Muschamp's elite defense, and a playoff run might be in the cards.

Texas played its best football for 30 minutes, went silent in the third quarter, woke up to rebuild a double-digit lead and then intercepted a Hail Mary as time expired to hold off Ole Miss and snap a two-game losing streak with a 34-27 victory Saturday night.

The No. 19 Longhorns (5-2, 2-2 SEC) exploded to a 24-3 halftime lead at home, but three Arch Manning turnovers helped No. 7 Ole Miss (5-2, 3-2) claw back and tie the game early in the fourth quarter with 21 unanswered points. The beleaguered Manning retook the lead on a 1-yard, naked bootleg midway through the fourth quarter. The Longhorns ground out the win as running back Raleek Brown came to life, rushing for 157 yards despite the Longhorns being held to minus-1 yard rushing in the third quarter.

Ole Miss kicked a field goal to pull within a touchdown with 1:22 remaining, and then recovered an onside kick to give quarterback Trinidad Chambliss an opportunity to tie or win the game with no timeouts remaining. The Rebels drove down to Texas' 29-yard line but Jelani McDonald intercepted the Hail Mary pass in the end zone.

"We said all week, whatever it takes," Manning said on ABC after the game. "We saw that in the fourth quarter."

Texas has won four straight home games against AP Top 10 teams. The Rebels' loss leaves Georgia and Kentucky the only one-loss teams remaining in the SEC.

The win might not silence Texas' critics or the calls for Manning to sit on the bench, but it puts the Longhorns back in the win column and keeps them alive in the race for the College Football Playoff.

Fans and media heavily criticized Manning after the Longhorns lost to unranked Oklahoma and Texas in back-to-back weeks. Coach Steve Sarkisian challenged him in practices, saying late in the week that his quarterback seemed "edgy" heading into the showdown with the Rebels. Manning handled the pressure well in the first half. He threw for 171 yards and a touchdown, and threw an interception before halftime, leading the Longhorns to a 21-point lead, but struggled in the second half. He finished with three turnovers, two interceptions and a strip-sack recovered for an Ole Miss touchdown.

Texas avoided the embarrassment of ending the night on the wrong side of history. The Longhorns were in danger of becoming the first team since 1957 to lose three straight games after entering the stretch No. 1 in the AP poll. They also risked becoming the first ranked team to lose three straight after leading by double digits.

The Longhorns' playoff chances jumped to 46.7% with the win, according to CBS Sports Forecasting and Projections. Ole Miss' chances dropped to 20.6%.

The Longhorns travel to Mississippi State and the Rebels will host Auburn on Halloween.

Texas rebuilt a double-digit lead, but Ole Miss got back in the game after an onside-kick recovery with 1:20 remaining.

Texas' Jelani McDonald intercepted Trinidad Chambliss' Hail Mary from the Texas 29-yard line in the end zone, and the Longhorns secured a 34-27 win over the No. 7 Rebels. Chambliss finished with three interceptions, a career high.

Ole Miss recovered the onside kick after Texas bobbled the ball, which ricocheted off an Ole Miss player before the Rebels recovered.

The Rebels have a chance, down 34-27.

Late 4Q: Texas 34, Ole Miss 27

Ole Miss' Lucas Carneiro drilled a 39-yard field goal to bring the score to 34-27 with 1:22 remaining.

Onside kicking coming up.

Late 4Q: Texas 34, Ole Miss 24

The Longhorns have turned the game into a ground-and-pound affair. Gianni Spetic drilled a 33-yard field goal with 2:25 remaining to stretch the lead over Ole Miss to 34-24.

Texas has rushed for 121 yards in the fourth quarter after being held to minus-1 yard on the ground in the third quarter. Raleek Brown is up to 157 yards on 23 carries.

Mid 3Q: Texas 31, Ole Miss 24

Texas had zero rushing yards in the second half, and then Raleek Brown exploded for a 47-yard run to jumpstart a much-needed touchdown drive.

Arch Manning trotted into the end zone untouched to finish the drive with a 1-yard run that looked like his uncle Peyton's naked bootleg. The drive covered 80 yards in six plays.

Brown's 47-yard run more than doubled Texas' second-half yardage. Michael Terry III also had a 19-yard run on the possession.

Can Texas hold on?

Arch Manning just threw one of the easiest interceptions Ole Miss will gather this season. 

He fired a ball that lofted into the air with three Ole Miss defenders downfield, and Jalyn Crawford caught it with ease, almost like he was fielding a punt.

The Rebels are in business, looking to take their first lead.

Manning has three turnovers tonight: two interceptions and a strip-sack fumble recovered for an Ole Miss touchdown. 

Early 4Q: Ole Miss 24, Texas 24

Texas is in danger for the third week in a row after building yet another double-digit lead.

Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss just helped tie the game with a beautiful 27-yard touchdown pass to Horatio Fields with 13:57 remaining in the fourth quarter. The throw capped a four-play, 71-yard drive that Texas pass interference helped -- again.

The Rebels have scored 21 straight points to rally from a 24-3 halftime deficit.

Ole Miss is outgaining Texas 102-19 in the second half.

If the Longhorns blow this three-touchdown lead and lose, they will become the first ranked team to lose three straight after leading by double digits in the last 30 years.

End 3Q: Texas 24, Ole Miss 17

Texas' offense hasn't done much in the second half, and Ole Miss is trying to make the Longhorns pay to start the fourth quarter.

Trinidad Chambliss connected with Horatio Fields for a 17-yard pass to their own 46-yard line at the end of the third quarter. The Rebels are down 24-17, but the offense is showing signs of life.

Ole Miss outgained Texas 63-19 in the third quarter. Chambliss was 7-of-9 passing for 45 yards and a touchdown. He started the half 6-of-6.

Arch Manning has struggled, going 3-of-7 for 20 yards. The Longhorns ran 11 times for minus-1 rushing yard, including two sacks.

Can the Longhorns hold on? They're trying to avoid losing three straight games after leading by double digits. They would be the first team in 30 years to do that. They would also be the first team to lose three straight after entering the stretch ranked No. 1 in the AP poll since 1965 (also Texas).

Mid 3Q: Texas 24, Ole Miss 17

We've got a game in Austin. Ole Miss has scored 14 unanswered points and is within a score of Texas midway through the third quarter.

Trinidad Chambliss hit Horatio Fields for a 6-yard strike with 6:46 remaining in the quarter to cap the 10-play, 80-yard drive that was helped by two pass interference flags and a roughing-the-passer penalty on Texas.

Ole Miss star running back Kewan Lacy was helped to the sideline after he was smashed to the turf by four Texas defenders with less than 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter.

It's unclear what the injury is, but he stayed down on the turf for several minutes as trainers looked him over. Lacy gained three yards on the run, and Rasheem Biles and Jelani McDonald shared a tackle.

Makhi Frazier, who has one 34-yard carry, is in the game for Lacy.

Texas receiver Cam Coleman suffered an apparent shoulder injury on a catch attempt early in the second half. The team took him to the Longhorns' locker room.

Coleman has one catch for 12 yards on three targets with two dropped passes.

Early 3Q: Texas 24, Ole Miss 10

Ole Miss is back in the game after a strip-sack to start the second half.

Blake Purchase came through on Arch Manning's blind side, drilled him in the back, and the ball came loose. Kam Franklin recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown with 13:19 remaining in the third quarter.

A big moment, obviously, and it places a spotlight squarely on the left tackle spot, where Trevor Goosby exited in the first quarter with an injury.

HALF: No. 19 Texas 24, No. 7 Ole Miss 3

The story so far tonight is the re-emergence of Arch Manning and Texas' offense. The Longhorns lead Ole Miss 24-3 thanks to five explosive plays, including four from the quarterback.

Manning entered tonight under the most pressure of his career. Fans and media questioned whether he should be benched after losing back-to-back games against unranked teams, dropping Texas from No. 1 to No. 19 heading into tonight.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was extra hard in coaching Manning this week, too.

"He's competing at a really high level," Sarkisian told ESPN's Holly Rowe at halftime. "He's enjoying playing football, and that's fun to watch."

Manning is 13-of-19 passing for 171 yards and one touchdown with an interception. His passer rating is an impressive 150.9.

Ole Miss isn't having as much fun in Austin. The Rebels have looked out of sorts most of the night, and their most promising drive ended with an interception at the goal line in the final two minutes.

Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is 6-of-18 passing for 63 yards with two interceptions. Chambliss had never thrown more than one interception in his Ole Miss career. He has two in the first half tonight.

Texas is outgaining Ole Miss 258-139 heading into the locker room. The Rebels are 1-of-9 on third-down conversions and are averaging only 3.9 yards per play.

Trinidad Chambliss was picked off for the second time tonight, and this one was the costliest yet. Rasheem Biles intercepted a pass intended for Horatio Fields at the 2-yard line on fourth-and-goal with 1:33 remaining in the first half.

The Rebels' first and only promising drive of the night ends in disaster. Texas still leads 24-3.

A fake punt against Jeff Banks' special teams unit has sparked Ole Miss' offense.

Makhi Frazier ripped a 34-yard run, the longest by either team tonight, to give the Rebels some hope as they now sit at Texas' 20-yard line with 1:58 remaining in the first half.

Update: An unnecessary roughness call has moved Ole Miss to the Texas 10-yard line.

Mid 2Q: Texas 24, Ole Miss 3

Arch Manning led the Longhorns down the field for another touchdown. This one took six plays and covered 62 yards. Michael Terry III capped the drive with a 2-yard run.

Texas is averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Ole Miss is an abysmal 0.8 yards per rush and has only 59 yards of offense.

Texas has five explosive plays covering 158 yards so far tonight. Manning is responsible for four of them, including a 19-yard run, and he has connected on passes of 23, 43 and 50 yards (a TD). Raleek Brown has a 23-yard run.

Early 2Q: Texas 17, Ole Miss 3

The Arch Manning Redemption Tour is underway tonight in Austin.

The Texas quarterback was hit at the same exact moment he released the ball, throwing a perfect 50-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Wingo with 12:38 left in the second quarter.

Two plays earlier, Manning scrambled 19 yards for a first down to Ole Miss' 49-yard line.

Manning has been impressive, throwing for 154 yards and a touchdown with one interception on 11-of-16 passing. The Longhorns are up 220 yards compared to Ole Miss' 53.

Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and his receivers are miscommunicating tonight. He has twice fired passes downfield with no one ready, or even there, to catch them.

End 1Q: No. 19 Texas 10, No. 7 Ole Miss 3

Texas is playing some of its best football this season at the end of the first quarter.

Arch Manning, whom some wanted to bench before the game, has completed 8 of 12 passes for 107 yards and one interception. He also ran for a 2-yard touchdown late in the first quarter.

The Longhorns are outgaining Ole Miss 154-61. Both teams are 1 for 4 on third-down conversions.

Kewan Lacy is the only Ole Miss player to carry the ball, running for 8 yards on six carries. Trinidad Chambliss has completed 4 of 10 passes for 53 yards with one interception.

The score shows Texas ahead, and the Longhorns also appear to have the edge in effort. The Longhorns' negatives so far: a drop by Cam Coleman on a would-be 59-yard touchdown pass and Manning's interception, which Chambliss negated on the next play.

Late 1Q: Texas 10, Ole Miss 3

Arch Manning kept the ball on an RPO and scored from 2 yards out to give Texas a 10-3 lead with 55 seconds left in the first quarter.

Ryan Wingo set it up with an incredible run after the catch on a screen pass, staying in bounds along the right sideline for a 43-yard gain to Ole Miss' 25-yard line. Raleek Brown then ran to the right and back inside for 23 yards.

The Longhorns are playing hard tonight as they fight for their playoff life.

You don't see interceptions on back-to-back plays very often, but we just did in Austin. 

Moments after Arch Manning was intercepted, Justin Cryer picked off Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss.

Then, Steve Sarkisian, sensing momentum, went for the jugular and dialed up a play for receiver Cam Coleman, who ran wide open in the middle of the field but dropped a perfectly placed pass from Manning over his shoulder at Ole Miss' 21-yard line. If he caught it, it likely would have been a 59-yard touchdown catch.

Texas left tackle Trevor Goosby was carted off the field with an injury with 4:42 remaining in the first quarter. That's a big loss for the Longhorns. Arch Manning threw an interception on the ensuing play after the injury timeout.

Late 1Q: Ole Miss 3, Texas 3

Trinidad Chambliss connected on a few passes, including a long 36-yarder to Deuce Alexander, but the offense stalled, and Lucas Carnerior kicked a 46-yard field goal to tie the game with 6:01 left in the first quarter.

Chambliss had a receiver open up the seam, but Alexander got lost and didn't track the ball on third-and-10. The ball landed harmlessly on the turf to his right. 

Mid 1Q: Texas 3, Ole Miss 0

Texas moved quickly down the field on its first possession but stalled inside the 10-yard line.

Gianni Spetic connected on a 23-yard field goal try to give the Longhorns a 3-0 lead with 8:27 remaining in the opening quarter.

Arch Manning was sharp on the drive, completing 4 of 5 passes for 49 yards. The Longhorns averaged 3.3 yards per rush on six tries, including four for 16 yards from Raleek Brown.

Texas' defense held Ole Miss to a three-and-out for zero yards to start the game, and now Arch Manning is marching the offense downfield. He's completed all four passes for 49 yards, and Raleek Brown has added a 13-yard run, putting Texas at the Ole Miss 8-yard line early in the game.

The crowd's response in Austin was mixed when they announced Arch Manning during the starting lineups tonight. 

It's always something with Texas.

Not all is lost in Austin for Steve Sarkisian and Arch Manning, but the margin for error is razor thin, and the road ahead includes plenty of landmines. 

Because Arch, Sark and the Longhorns had that incredible comeback win against Ohio State, there is a built-in bonus to how Texas will be viewed as an at-large candidate for the CFP. But with Ole Miss coming to town on Saturday and road trips to Missouri and LSU in November, there are more than a couple of obvious spots where the Longhorns could take another loss. If the offense does not take a significant step forward with the pressure being at its peak, things could get really uncomfortable in Austin.  

These 7 stretch run storylines will define the second half of the 2026 season

Chip Patterson