It had the makings of another classic home win at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
The Longhorns were up 17-3 after Ryan Niblett returned a punt for a touchdown to give the Horns a two-score lead midway through the second quarter while their opponent, the Florida Gators, looked hapless.
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Then something flipped.
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The Gators buckled down, adopting the hard-nosed mentality that head coach Jon Sumrall has been trying to impart on them since their blowout loss to Missouri two weeks ago, and outscored Texas 24-7 over the final two and a half quarters to nab a signature win.
Florida could have easily folded, especially given the two-game losing streak they came in on, coupled with the loss of starting quarterback Aaron Philo and top wideout Vernell Brown III.
Instead, the Gators turned to Tramell Jones, making his first collegiate start in a venue that has not been kind to opposing teams or quarterbacks.
Jones turned in a yeoman’s effort, going 22-35 for 155 passing yards and two touchdowns while also keeping the Longhorn defense honest with his legs.
Running back Jadan Baugh started to look like his old self as well (25 carries for 91 yards and a score), which certainly helped Florida and Jones by extension.
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For Texas, this loss leaves a team that was a national championship favorite just two weeks ago with a lot of tough questions.
Starting with their quarterback, Arch Manning once again looked less than adequate for large stretches of the game.
Outside of a massive 62-yard pass on 4th and 7 late in the game, Manning had just over 100 yards through the air.
Give some credit to Florida’s defensive line for harassing the junior signal caller for much of the day, but the Gators’ pass defense has ranked in the 100s in most statistical categories and was supposed to represent a “get right” opportunity for Manning.
Instead, the beleaguered quarterback continues to slide down mock draft boards as the season matures.
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For as bad as things look for Manning’s future, it might look worse for Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian.
Another loss would almost certainly mean the end of the Longhorns’ College Football Playoff hopes, and missing the postseason tournament two years in a row would be unacceptable for a team as talented as Texas.
Many pundits were ready to put Sarkisian on the hot seat to start the season, and if he doesn’t turn things around in a hurry in Austin, he could very well be on his way out.
All the pieces were in place for the Longhorns to make a run at the title this fall, but a loss today puts everything on life support.
It doesn’t get any easier, either, as Texas will welcome a top-ten Ole Miss team to DKR next week.
With coach and quarterback both under fire, the pressure could prove to be too much.
From number one in the land to crushed dreams in 14 days. College football can be so cruel.
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