Texas Found a Way to Win the Game It Couldn't Afford to Lose

The Texas Longhorns will head into their bye week with the best start the Longhorns and Texas fans would have hoped for. The Longhorns roll into the break with a perfect 4-0 record, a pair of ranked wins, and as the No. 1 team in the country.

The Longhorns survived a trip to a place they've never traveled to before as Texas went out on the road to Knoxville to face the Tennessee Volunteers. And despite a late-game rally and comeback attempt from the Volunteers, the Longhorns closed out a 20-17 road win to begin SEC play 1-0.

Texas has been no stranger to hard-fought wins so far this season, and the Longhorns' resilience could be one of their biggest strengths heading into the gauntlet of an SEC schedule that remains ahead.

Texas Finds Ways to Win Even if It's Not Pretty

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) passes Tennessee Volunteers during the first half at Neyland Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The win against the Volunteers was not pretty for the Longhorns, as all three phases of the game struggled at times.

The Texas offense wasn't able to sustain a rhythm as quarterback Arch Manning never found a groove through the air, and the running game never truly established itself.

The Longhorns' defense, while dominant, was careless with its discipline, as penalties were plentiful, with a number of calls being costly as they would ultimately help the Tennessee offense and keep drives alive.

And the Longhorns' special teams units also struggled at times with costly penalties and gave up a huge punt return touchdown that allowed the Volunteers to get back into the game.

While the Volunteers got close to pulling off a miraculous comeback following a late touchdown, a controversial onside kick, and quarterback Faizon Brandon heaving the ball into the end zone on the final play of the game, the Longhorns were resilient, surviving miscues and struggles that have doomed plenty of teams in the past and left Knoxville still undefeated.

The win against Tennessee was not the first time the Longhorns have had to show off their resilience, with an equal amount on display in their dramatic comeback win over the Ohio State Buckeyes.

In that game, the Longhorns also struggled offensively, and while the defense was steady, being on the field constantly began to wear down the unit. However, in the fourth quarter, Texas flipped a switch and mounted a 20-point comeback.

Texas will need that resilience gene to remain strong with the challenges that loom ahead. The Longhorns will get back from their bye week with the Red River Rivalry and then play five straight ranked games.

The Longhorns have shown that they can grind out positive results even if the wins aren't the prettiest, and with the SEC gauntlet that awaits, it's clear that Texas will have to continue doing just that.

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