GAME RECAP: No. 18 Texas Holds Off No. 5 Ole Miss 34-27 as Raleek Brown Runs for 157 Yards

AUSTIN, Texas — DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium spent Saturday night in burnt orange and watched a 21-point cushion melt all the way to a tie before the Longhorns took the building back and held on.

No. 18 Texas left DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium with a 34-27 win over No. 5 Ole Miss, a home result built on 207 rushing yards and a fourth-quarter answer after Ole Miss erased a 24-3 deficit. The Longhorns improve to 5-2 and 2-2 in the SEC. Ole Miss falls to 5-2 and 3-2. It was a blowout, then a tie game, then a one-score finish that came down to the final snap.

Texas opened the way a Steve Sarkisian team is supposed to open a home night against a top-five opponent. Twelve plays, 69 yards, and Gianni Spetic drilled a 23-yard field goal at 8:27 of the first. Texas 3, Ole Miss 0.

Ole Miss answered quickly. Seven plays, 46 yards, keyed by a 36-yard catch from Deuce Alexander. Lucas Carneiro hit a 46-yard field goal at 6:01. 3-3. The next two possessions ended in picks. Jalyn Crawford intercepted Arch Manning, and on the very next snap Justin Cryer picked off Trinidad Chambliss. After a punt, Texas went four plays, 60 yards. Manning found Ryan Wingo for 43 yards, Raleek Brown ran 23 yards to the 2, and Manning scored from two yards out at 0:55. Spetic converted. 10-3.

The second quarter belonged to Texas. Five plays, 61 yards. Manning ran 19 yards, then found Wingo for 50 yards at 12:38. Spetic converted. 17-3. Six plays, 62 yards, helped by Ole Miss roughing-the-passer, face mask and pass interference penalties. Michael Terry III scored from two yards out at 9:21. Spetic made it 24-3. Pete Golding’s team had one answer before the half. Punter Oscar Bird ran 17 yards on a fake on fourth-and-6, and Makhi Frazier broke a 34-yard run as Ole Miss went 12 plays, 80 yards to the Texas 2. Rasheem Biles intercepted Chambliss at the Texas 1 with 1:37 left. It was 24-3 at the half.

The third quarter turned on one snap. Pinned at its own 12 after a penalty on the opening kickoff, Texas lost the ball when Blake Purchase sacked Manning for a 23-yard loss and Kam Franklin recovered the fumble in the end zone at 13:19. Carneiro converted. 24-10. Ole Miss then went 10 plays, 80 yards, aided by three Texas penalties, and Chambliss found Horatio Fields from six yards out at 6:46. Carneiro converted. 24-17.

Ole Miss refused to go away. Four plays, 71 yards, and Chambliss hit Fields again, this time from 27 yards, at 13:57 of the fourth. Carneiro made it 24-24. Crawford intercepted Manning for the second time at the Ole Miss 20 on the next possession. Texas answered with six plays, 80 yards. Brown broke a 47-yard run, Terry added runs of 12 and 19 yards, and Manning scored from one yard out at 8:04. Spetic converted. 31-24. Carneiro’s 58-yard try was blocked at 6:21. Brown ripped off a 28-yard run on an eight-play, 44-yard drive, and Spetic hit a 33-yard field goal at 2:25. 34-24. Ole Miss went six plays, 53 yards in 1:03, and Carneiro hit a 39-yard field goal at 1:22. 34-27. The Rebels recovered the onside kick, converted a fourth-and-8 and reached the Texas 24, but Jelani McDonald intercepted Chambliss in the end zone with two seconds left. Texas held on.

The box score is the part that will travel on Sunday. Texas finished with 419 total yards (212 pass, 207 rush). Ole Miss managed 363 (250 pass, 113 rush). Manning went 18-of-30 for 212 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions and ran for two scores. Wingo caught seven balls for 111 yards and a touchdown. Brown carried 23 times for 157 yards, and Terry added eight carries for 41 yards and a score. Chambliss finished 25-of-52 for 250 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions. Alexander had eight catches for 87 yards, and Caleb Odom added five for 59. Fields caught three passes for 50 yards and both scores. Crawford had two interceptions for Ole Miss, and McDonald led Texas with 12 tackles and the game-ending pick. Texas was flagged 14 times for 134 yards.

DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium is supposed to be the place where Texas gets its season back. Saturday it was the place where the Longhorns gave away nearly all of a 21-point lead, then leaned on Brown and the run game and got one last stop to beat a top-five team anyway.

Player of the Game: Raleek Brown. Twenty-three carries for 157 yards, including the 47-yard run that set up the go-ahead touchdown and the 28-yarder that set up the clinching field goal.