Texas Survives Ole Miss’ 21-Point Comeback: Manning’s Late Run Seals 34–27 Upset

Austin, Texas | October 24, 2026 | FINAL: No. 19 Texas 34, No. 7 Ole Miss 27. A three-touchdown halftime cushion vanished, but Arch Manning answered the moment that mattered. Texas recovered from its own second-half collapse to beat seventh-ranked Mississippi, 34–27, in a result that keeps the Longhorns in the SEC race while exposing how precarious their leads can be.

From 24–3 to 24–24 — and back

Texas led 24–3 at halftime after Manning’s early touchdown run, a 50-yard scoring pass to Ryan Wingo and Michael Terry III’s short touchdown run. Ole Miss then turned the game inside out. Blake Purchase’s strip-sack created a Kam Franklin defensive touchdown, and Trinidad Chambliss found Horatio Fields twice for scores, including a 27-yard strike that tied it 24–24 early in the fourth quarter.

With the lead gone and the pressure rising, Texas finally restored its rushing rhythm. Raleek Brown’s 47-yard burst helped set up an 80-yard, six-play drive, which Manning finished with a one-yard keeper for the go-ahead touchdown with 8:04 remaining. Alex January later blocked an Ole Miss field-goal attempt; Gianni Spetic added a 33-yard field goal to push Texas ahead 34–24.

The Rebels were not finished. Lucas Carneiro made a late field goal, Ole Miss recovered the ensuing onside kick, and Chambliss advanced the ball into striking distance. But Jelani McDonald intercepted the final end-zone throw to preserve the seven-point win.

Why Texas won — and why the warning signs remain

The decisive adjustment was not a passing explosion; it was restoring balance on the ground. Brown finished with 157 rushing yards, giving Texas a reliable answer after Ole Miss’s pressure disrupted Manning. The quarterback passed for 212 yards and a touchdown, rushed for two more scores, but also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. The win showed his resilience, not a flawless offensive performance.

Texas also benefited from three interceptions of Chambliss, including McDonald’s game-ender. Yet a 21-point lead evaporated, and the late onside-kick recovery gave Ole Miss another possession. That combination of high-impact defensive plays and costly lapses explains why the final margin was far narrower than the first half suggested.

By the numbers: Texas gained 419 total yards to Ole Miss’s 363; Wingo caught seven passes for 111 yards and a touchdown; Chambliss threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns. Both teams finished 5–2 overall. Texas improved to 2–2 in SEC play, while Ole Miss fell to 3–2.

What comes next

Texas hosts Mississippi State on October 31, while Ole Miss returns home to face Auburn. The Longhorns leave with a ranked win and a clearer offensive formula, but future opponents will see a team that has yet to make a big lead feel safe.

Featured image: Archival American football stadium photograph by Myron Mott / Unsplash, used as a generic illustration and not presented as a photograph of the Texas–Ole Miss game. Licensed under the Unsplash License.

Sources and editorial notes

• Texas Athletics: official game recap, October 24
• Ole Miss Athletics: official game recap, October 24
• Official final box score
• Associated Press match report via CBS Sports

Game date: October 24, 2026 (U.S. Central time). Final score verified against both universities and the official box score. The embedded video is hosted by the SEC; no footage or video thumbnail was copied or rehosted.

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