Arch Manning Keeps Texas’ Playoff Chances Alive in Statement Win vs. Texas A&M

No matter how rough the Texas Longhorns’ season is, there is one game the team is expected to win each and every year.

The last time the Texas A&M Aggies and the Texas Longhorns faced off, the visiting Longhorns left College Station with a victory in a much anticipated reunion to move the all-time record to 77-37-5 in favor of Texas.

With the Longhorns’ 27-17 victory over the Aggies, they move the all-time record to 78-37-5.

Texas Dominates Second Half

Texas Longhorns running back Quintrevion Wisner runs for yards past Texas A&M Aggies safety Dalton Brooks during the second half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The Aggies attempted to take an early lead after becoming the first team to cross the 50-yard line, but the Longhorns stood tall on Texas AM kicker Jared Zirkel’s first attempt of the night and got a big mitt on it, sending it wobbling far short of the uprights. Manning and the Longhorns quickly answered with a field goal of their own. The next drive, the Aggies drove down the field to punch in a KC Concepcion rushing touchdown.

Coming out of the half, Texas stopped the Aggies on their first drive and quickly responded with a 46-yard field goal. Shortly after their field goal, the Longhorns scored their first touchdown of the game when Arch Manning found Trey Wingo wide open in the back of the end zone to go up 13-10.

Texas quickly followed it up with a drive tapped off by a two-yard touchdown rush to push their lead to 20-10.

Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed drove the Aggies down the field before running back EJ Smith cut the Longhorns’ lead to three, giving the Aggies a semblance of hope.

The Longhorns’ rushing attack looked like a completely different version of itself, especially compared to what they have shown fans all season. On their last scoring drive of the game, Manning took a quarterback keeper 35 yards to the house to move the Longhorns’ lead to 10.

After two horrendous interceptions thrown by Reed that effectively ended his Heisman Trophy candidacy, one to Michael Taaffe in his final home game at DKR Texas Memorial Stadium, Texas came out and took a couple of knees to end the game.

With the Longhorns’ win over the Aggies, their College Football Playoff chances stay alive. With wins over some of the top teams of the nation, it will certainly be a tough decision for the committee.

“A lot of the pundits think they’re the No. 1 team in the country,” Steve Sarkisian said after the game. “We just beat them by 10.”