Texas Beats LSU 22-21 on Arch Manning's 4-Yard TD Pass

Q: How did Arch Manning overcome three costly interceptions to engineer a dramatic, season-saving touchdown drive with just two seconds left?

Arch Manning overcame the interceptions by resetting in the game’s biggest moment, leaning on Texas’ defense to buy him time, and then executing a calm, efficient two-minute drive when LSU’s offense collapsed. For most of the night, Manning was uneven, finishing 19 of 35 for 174 yards with three interceptions. But Texas stayed alive because its defense shut LSU down in the fourth quarter, forcing four straight punts and preventing the Tigers from turning Manning’s final interception into points. That kept the score at 21-16 and gave Texas one last chance from its own 42-yard line. On that final 12-play, 58-yard possession, Manning played his cleanest football of the night. He went 6-for-8 for 54 yards on the drive, added rushing yards, and avoided the kind of forced mistake that had hurt him earlier. Rather than chasing a hero throw, he took what LSU gave him and kept Texas on schedule. Steve Sarkisian also simplified the offense at the right time. Texas relied on manageable throws and a well-designed red-zone call that got the ball to Raleek Brown on a 4-yard touchdown pass with two seconds left. Manning himself said afterward that Texas “had to” respond and that he simply needed to “put some spin on the ball and get that guy in the end zone.” So the comeback was less about erasing the interceptions than surviving them: Texas defended well enough to keep the margin tight, and Manning was sharp exactly when the season demanded it.

2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Nov 15

A 12-play, 58-yard Texas drive ended with Arch Manning's 4-yard touchdown pass to Raleek Brown, giving the Longhorns a 22-21 win at LSU.
Manning overcame a rough night—19-of-35 for 174 yards with 3 interceptions—after Texas trailed 21-10 late in the third quarter.
LSU built that lead on Dillon Jones' 44-yard touchdown run and his 125 rushing yards, but four fourth-quarter punts left the Tigers unable to protect it.
Texas improved to 8-2 and strengthened its College Football Playoff case, while 6-4 LSU fell further out of contention.