Texas Longhorns Trail Texas A&M at Halftime as Offense Sputters

The Texas Longhorns enter halftime of the Lone Star Showdown trailing against their bitter rivals, the Texas A&M Aggies.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning throws a pass during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

It's the 119th meeting of the Lone Star Showdown, one of college football's biggest rivalries in the sport between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Texas Longhorns. The first half featured numerous missed calls and injury scares, and the Longhorns trail by a touchdown at halftime, 10-3.

After a slow start, the Longhorns began to show signs of life on offense, with quarterback Arch Manning showing flashes and Steve Sarkisian utilizing a few explosive plays in his playbook to boost his offense. The defense held strong in the first half, pitching a shutout until 6:41 remained in the half, and will now get Ty'Anthony Smith back after he had to sit out the first half of the game.

Here is how the first half went for the Longhorns, who are in their quest to play spoiler for the Aggies' perfect season.

First Quarter Defense

Nov 28, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns live mascot Bevo enters Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium before a game against the Texas A&M Aggies. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The first quarter of the game featured elite defensive performances from both teams, combined with struggling running games from both offenses. Taurean York was otherworldly for the Longhorns, finishing with the most tackles in the game and a tackle for loss. Liona Lefau would lead the Longhorns in tackles through the first 15 minutes of the Lone Star Showdown.

The Longhorns' defense overall was great at times, holding the Aggies to 0-3 on third downs, but allowed 4.9 yards of offense per play. The Aggies were held to 84 yards of offense and found more success through the air than on the ground, with 37 rushing yards.

In typical fashion, though, Manning and the offense would struggle to find a rhythm in the first quarter of the game, finishing with only 41 yards of offense, 20 of which came from rushing yards on six carries. The Longhorns were 4 for 12 passing but were 2-5 on third downs, finding success against one of the best third-down defenses in the country.

Struggling Quarterbacks

Nov 22, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) warms up before a game against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

While both defenses were elite in the matchup, it caused both signal-callers to have their own struggles in the 119th Lone Star Showdown. Neither one could establish consecutive throws, and they were constantly facing pressure, with both of them having at least two quarterback hurries against them.

Manning would struggle the most, as evidenced by the offense's inability to run the ball, which forces them to be one-dimensional at times. He would finish the first half with only 51 yards and no touchdowns, and would have a completion percentage of 38 percent after going 8 for 21. Reed, on the other hand, would return from his injury scare to go 10 for 15 with 94 yards and a completion percentage of 67 percent.

Both quarterbacks were able to find success on the ground, though, with Manning finishing the half with five carries for 27 yards. Reed would enter halftime as the game's leading rusher, ending the half with 45 yards on seven carries, and the longest rush of the night for 20 yards.

Both quarterbacks were the topic of conversation entering the matchup, and both have been stifled by great defenses, with Manning taking the brunt of the struggles. The Longhorns will need their top offensive player to find his groove in the second half of this one.