No. 7 Texas rallies past Missouri to keep playoff hopes alive

No. 7 Texas scored 21 unanswered points in the second half to rally past No. 18 Missouri 34-20 on Saturday, keeping the Longhorns’ College Football Playoff hopes alive.

The Longhorns (7-2, 4-2 SEC) trailed Missouri (6-3, 3-3 SEC) 20-13 early in the fourth quarter before taking the lead for good. Manning threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Raleek Brown with 5:03 remaining, putting the Longhorns ahead 27-20. Brown added a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:25 left to seal the victory. The Longhorns’ defense made the decisive play when cornerback Graceson Littleton intercepted a pass by Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons with under two minutes remaining.

This contest was the first encounter for the ex-Big 12 foes since the 2017 Texas Bowl, a time when they belonged to different conferences. It was also the first visit to Columbia for the Longhorns since 2011, when Missouri secured a Big 12 victory by the peculiar margin of 17-5.

Controversial Call Fuels Texas Rally

The game turned on a controversial third-quarter play. With Texas trailing 20-13, Manning appeared to throw an incomplete pass on third-and-10 from the Missouri 39-yard line. The officials, however, ruled it a fumble after the ball hit the turf, and Texas receiver Emmett Mosley V eventually picked up the ball. After a video review, the call on the field was upheld.

According to college football’s rulebook, When a team A player is holding the ball to pass it forward and the ball strikes the ground, it is an incomplete pass if the ball was not firmly controlled when the hand intentionally started forward in order to pass. The SEC officiating crew and replay booth concurred that there was not clear and obvious video evidence to overturn the call.

The ruling allowed Texas to maintain possession with a first down instead of facing fourth-and-10. The Longhorns capitalized with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Jermaine Bishop Jr. three plays later, tying the game at 20-20. Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz declined to blame the officials for the loss.

Manning Leads Texas Offensive Surge

The win came without wide receiver Cam Coleman, who was ruled out shortly before kickoff with a shoulder injury. Coleman’s absence led to a more balanced passing game, with eight receivers making at least one catch and four having at least four grabs. Emmett Mosley led the team with five receptions for 85 yards.

Raleek Brown was a key contributor, rushing 17 times for 85 yards and two touchdowns while also catching a 23-yard touchdown pass. The Longhorns' defense also held Missouri's Jamal Roberts, the SEC's leading rusher, to 66 yards on the ground.

Missouri’s offense was led by quarterback Austin Simmons, who finished with 252 yards passing and two touchdowns. A lot of his production came on a 75-yard touchdown pass to Naeshaun Montgomery, who spun loose of Longhorns cornerback Jelani McDonald, managed to tip-toe along his own sideline, and ran untouched for the score.

Didn’t come down to officials. Didn’t come to reviews. It came down to the opportunities we had, Drinkwitz said.

Texas Looks Ahead, Missouri’s Season Ends

The win improves Texas to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in SEC play, boosting its standing in the College Football Playoff race. With their 34-20 victory over the Missouri Tigers, head coach Steve Sarkisian’s squad, which tallied 21 consecutive points to secure the win, is building one of the most impressive resumes in all of college football. Texas will travel to face No. 15 LSU next Saturday.

Missouri fell to 6-3 and 3-3 in conference play, with its College Football Playoff hopes likely dashed. Three wins could possibly get the Tigers back into the playoff mix, but that’s a very improbable scenario, Yahoo Sports reported.

We're down some really good players right now, Sarkisian said, referring to an injury list that includes running back Hollywood Smothers and left tackle Trevor Goosby, both out for the season. He added, Adversity was going to strike and we needed to hang together. We needed to be mentally tough.

I think this team kind of gets tighter — the more adversity we get, the tighter we get. I think that's a cultural thing. I think it's a toughness thing. I think it's a leadership thing. Arch