AUSTIN, Texas — Arch Manning, the quarterback for Texas, made a notable comeback after a concussion, throwing for 328 yards and three touchdowns just a week ago. In an exciting opener against No. 9 Vanderbilt, his team, ranked 20th, quickly connected with Ryan Wingo on a 75-yard play, leading 34-31 right off the bat.
Though Texas had a comfortable 34-10 lead in the fourth quarter, Vanderbilt, led by QB Diego Pavia, pulled off a surprising comeback. Pavia scored on a touchdown run, then connected with Eli Stowers for a 67-yard touchdown pass. The game grew tense as Vanderbilt delivered a final touchdown to Richie Hoskins, leaving just 33 seconds on the clock.
The Commodores’ attempt at a last-second onside kick hit several players and ultimately veered out of bounds, sealing Texas’s win.
“November is going to feel almost like playoff season,” remarked Texas coach Steve Sarkisian after the game. “This win is significant… You really have to play all 60 minutes in this league.”
Manning had been hospitalized for a week following his injury in a tight game against Mississippi State. He was cleared from the injury report by Friday, enabling him to start against Vanderbilt.
“I felt good the whole time,” Manning expressed. “It feels good to be back.”
In a strong performance, Manning connected on 25 of 33 passes. His first throw went to Wingo, who dodged two defenders and raced to the end zone. The team built a solid 24-3 lead by halftime, with Quinleveon Wisner contributing 75 rushing yards and a score, while Wingo had two catches for 89 yards.
Despite taking a hard hit on one of his touchdown passes to Emmett Moseley V, Manning bounced back quickly and celebrated with his teammates. Thankfully, he had solid protection most of the day.
“This was the best protection he had all year,” noted Sarkisian.
On the other hand, Pavia faced relentless pressure, being sacked six times, which hindered the Commodores’ offense for most of the game.
Still, Pavia ended with a career-high 365 passing yards, totaling 408 yards overall. “I appreciate how he finishes games,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lee commented. “I wanted that onside kick retrieval, but it just didn’t happen.”
