AUSTIN, Texas — For the first time in 42 days, the No. 20 Texas Longhorns are back at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, hosting the No. 9 Vanderbilt Commodores and hoping to avoid a Halloween hangover
heading into the season’s second bye week.
At 6-2 overall and 3-1 in conference play, the season’s objectives are still on the table for the Longhorns despite last month’s loss to the Gators in Gainesville, but there’s little margin for error — to stay in the SEC championship and College Football Playoff races, head coach Steve Sarkisian’s team needs a victory against the upstart Commodores under fifth-year head coach Clark Lea.
Texas will benefit from the availability of redshirt sophomore quarterback Arch Manning, who was taken off the team’s injury report on Friday night after spending the week in concussion protocol. The only player out for the Horns is redshirt senior safety Michael Taaffe, which also means the return of senior center Cole Hutson, who hasn’t played since the win over Oklahoma.
Hutson isn’t playing his typical position, though — he was announced in the stadium as the starter at left guard, allowing redshirt junior Connor Robertson to maintain the starting role at center. The hope is that the change will solidify a position that has been in turmoil throughout the season because of struggles by redshirt sophomore Connor Stroh, the starter in the season opener, and freshman Nick Brooks, a more natural tackle.
