No. 6 Texas secured a thrilling 22-21 victory over No. 21 LSU at Tiger Stadium on Saturday night, overcoming an 11-point deficit in the third quarter.
The Longhorns made their first trip to Baton Rouge in 73 years during a contest that “had all the makings of disaster” for the program, according to Yahoo Sports.
Quarterback Arch Manning struggled early by throwing three interceptions and taking three sacks against a talented defense.
LSU took a 21-10 lead in the third quarter after a 44-yard touchdown run by Dilin Jones.
The Tigers failed to score again as their final four drives ended in punts, allowing Texas to mount a late comeback.
Gianni Spetic added a pair of field goals to narrow the deficit before the Longhorns got the ball back trailing 21-16 with 2:19 remaining.
Manning orchestrated the game-winning drive by completing five of seven passes, aided by two catches from Ryan Wingo and favorable video review calls.
The fourth-year quarterback connected with Raleek Brown for a touchdown pass on the final play of the game with just three seconds left on the clock.
The dramatic finish “secured a 22-21 victory” for the visitors, per the Austin American-Statesman.
Manning finished the night completing 19 of 35 pass attempts for 174 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
The victory marked the fifth win over a top 25 opponent this season for Texas, bringing their record to 8-2 overall and 5-2 in SEC play.
Local sports coverage noted that the gritty performance “may have secured the Longhorns a spot in the College Football Playoff.”
Texas defensive back Jelani McDonald also recorded a historic feat during the defensive battle in Baton Rouge.
The Longhorns will return home to Royal-Memorial Stadium next Saturday to face Arkansas.