Texas Survives Tennessee Scare, 20-17, But Manning's Struggles Continue
The top-ranked Longhorns escaped Neyland Stadium 20-17 to stay unbeaten, though a stalled running game and a shaky Arch Manning performance made for uncomfortable viewing, according to Yahoo Sports.
No. 1 Texas held off No. 14 Tennessee 20-17 at Neyland Stadium on Saturday, moving to 4-0 on the season despite spending long stretches of the fourth quarter trying to give the result away, according to Yahoo Sports.
The win sends the Longhorns into a bye week before a trip to the Cotton Bowl to face Oklahoma, but the manner of the victory raised as many questions as it answered.
Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who held the same role at Ohio State when the Buckeyes met Texas in the 2024 College Football Playoff, again gave the Longhorns' offence serious problems, according to Yahoo Sports.
The Volunteers brought pressure from multiple angles all afternoon and consistently guessed correctly on run blitzes, repeatedly forcing Texas into unfavourable down-and-distance situations.
Raleek Brown carried the load after Hollywood Smothers, cleared off the injury report but never used, dressed without taking a snap. One reporter cited in the piece noted Smothers looked hampered in warm-ups when decelerating, suggesting he was not fully fit.
Brown finished with just 67 yards on 17 carries, but two of his touchdown runs proved decisive - one on Texas's opening drive and another in the fourth quarter that appeared, briefly, to have shut the door on Tennessee. Every other Texas ball carrier managed only six yards combined on the day.
Quarterback Arch Manning's afternoon was more troubling. He was sacked six times and pressured throughout, and committed illegal forward pass penalties on two separate plays - the third such infraction across his past two games, according to Yahoo Sports.
He also threw an interception on what the source described as an unforced error, forcing a pass into a bracketed receiver on second-and-five from Texas's own plus territory despite having time in the pocket.
ESPN's Jordan Reid, watching live, offered a blunt assessment of the fourth-year starter: "Tools are clear, but the consistency is not. His biggest issue continues to be that he locks onto targets and doesn't always read coverage. He thrives in chaos."
Texas's defence ultimately settled matters, with Jelani McDonald breaking up a potential game-winning pass attempt in the closing seconds to seal the 20-17 result at Neyland Stadium.
With the bye week now offering a chance to address the running game and Manning's decision-making, Texas turns its attention to the Cotton Bowl meeting with Oklahoma.