Missouri fell to Texas 34-20 at home on Saturday, Nov. 7, but it wasn't without some controversy.
The Tigers appeared to have forced a fumble by Texas quarterback Arch Manning late in the third quarter while leading 20-13. Officials ruled a fumble on the field as Manning attempted a forward pass, but after a lengthy review, the call was overturned.
An SEC official explained the call in a statement to the Columbia Daily Tribune, part of the USA TODAY Network, after the game.
“The ruling on the field was a fumble,” an SEC official wrote in an email to the Tribune. “In replay review it was determined there was not clear and obvious video evidence that he had firm
control of the ball when the hand intentionally started forward in order to overturn the call.”
This was ruled a FUMBLE recovered by Texas for a 12 yard gain, resulting in a first down.
— SEC Unfiltered (@SECUnfiltered) November 7, 2026
RIGHT or WRONG call? pic.twitter.com/9Y56Y1OjoR
Texas went on to score a touchdown on the drive, tying the score at 20-20 late in the third quarter. The Longhorns then scored 14 unanswered in the fourth quarter, with their final touchdown set up after Cayden Lee fumbled during potential game-tying drive for Missouri.
The play might not have ultimately had an impact on the game's outcome, but it was certainly a pivotal moment that sparked some outrage.
"If you're a Missouri fan, if you're Eli Drinkwitz, you are livid because it does feel like a lot of these calls are going against Missouri today," ESPN analyst Jesse Palmer said during the ESPN broadcast.
Drinkwitz congratulated Texas after the game, noting the Longhorns deserved the win. He also said Texas' win wasn't due to officiating.
Drink did, however, hide his real thoughts on the call.
“If I say what I want to say, I'm going to get fined until I don't have any retirement, and I'm not going to do that because I'm not going to blame the officials,” Drinkwitz said. “That’d be disrespectful to Coach Sark and his team.”
It was an unfortunate blow to Missouri's season, with the Tigers suffering their third loss. Missouri was outplayed in the fourth quarter, but we'll never know if the pivotal review of Manning's potential fumble contributed to the loss.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Missouri had Arch Manning’s fumble. Then replay changed everything
