Texas was able to escape Columbia, Missouri with a 34-20 win over the Tigers. The offense was predictably up-and-down but did enough in the fourth quarter to get the win.
Texas moves to 7-2 with a road trip to Baton Rouge on deck, with the Tigers seemingly finding their stride. Considering the circumstances, Texas put together a strong performance that puts them in position to compete for a CFP spot.
Here are the five things we learned about the Longhorns today:
1. Arch Manning is finding a groove
This was a very important game for Arch Manning. For the first time since UTSA, Manning didn’t log a turnover and once again, topped 70% completion(28/38). He made great decisions for the most part, with just two plays standing out for indecision. It all equated to nearly 300 yards, 3 passing
TDs and his best performance of the season. For the first time this season, it seems Texas has a confident QB heading into the final three games of the season.
2. The run game work, if Sarkisian trusts it
Missouri is a top 25 run defense. Texas finished the day with 31 carries for 104 yards, including 3 sacks by Manning. Raleek Brown logged 85 yards on 5 yards/carry and scored the game-sealing TD late. The Texas OL finally found some consistency, in both the run and pass game, giving Brown enough opening to work with. It’s unlikely the Texas offense will be dominating this season but over 100 yards should be enough considering the explosivity in the passing game.
3. The defense will give you a shot to win every game
The defense didn’t play their best game today. Penalties plagued them, consistently extending drives for Missouri. Despite that, the defense continues to battle. Missouri was forced into FGs three times when in Texas’ end of the field, two of them being missed. Finally, after the Montgomery TD, they shut down the Missouri offense, logging a sack and TO in the 4th quarter. Muschamp’s group wasn’t perfect today but still played at a National Championship level.
4. Special teams continues to be all over the place
Early in the game, it seemed like the special teams was going to be a positive, getting a huge blocked punt. In the second half, that changed quickly with kickoff out of bounds and a fumble by Ryan Niblett. Jeff Bank’s unit continues to be far too involved with rest, particularly in the punt/kickoff coverage game. If Texas can avoid mistakes on special teams, they can win out, but that seems to be a big ask for this group.
Brought that Texas Fight pic.twitter.com/71qg541ILs
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) November 7, 2026
5. Texas is somehow in a solid spot for the CFP
It’s been an insane year for the Longhorns. A huge win over Ohio State in Week Two, followed by a great road win at Tennessee. Following the bye week, Texas played their worst two games, losing back-to-back games and falling out of the Top 25. Since then, they’ve found their groove again, beating Ole Miss, Mississippi State and now Missouri. In a season where Texas has been inconsistent and downright bad at times, they are part of a special group still alive for the CFP. Next week at LSU, Texas can get a fifth Top 25 win and get the inside track for a spot in the dance.
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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: 5 things learned about Texas vs. Missouri: Is Manning finding groove?
