4 Takeaways From Texas' Dramatic SEC Win Over Tennessee

In the battle to determine the real UT — and settle the debate over who wears the better shade of orange — Texas escaped Neyland Stadium with a dramatic 20-17 SEC win over Tennessee on Saturday afternoon.

The last time these storied programs met, on Jan. 1, 1969, Texas was running Darrell Royal’s wishbone at the Cotton Bowl and cruised to a 36-13 victory. This time, the No. 1 Longhorns needed a pass breakup in the end zone on a Hail Mary to deny the No. 14 Volunteers and preserve the win.

It was a much-anticipated game. President Trump was in attendance, and it marked the first time Texas quarterback Arch Manning played at his uncle Peyton’s alma mater. But the younger Manning didn’t have his best afternoon, completing 14 of 19 passes for 201 yards and an interception. He acknowledged as much during his postgame interview on the broadcast, saying, "I didn’t play very well."

It didn’t matter, at least not on Saturday. Texas found a way to win and improve to 4-0.

Here are my biggest takeaways from this Week 4 showdown:

1. Arch Manning Hasn’t Taken That Next Step

The prevailing sentiment around the college football world, at the end of last season, was that Manning was poised to take the next step in his development. He finished his first season as a starter strong, making that expectation seem more than reasonable.

Manning entered the 2026 campaign as a Heisman Trophy candidate and one of the top prospects in the 2027 NFL Draft. But four weeks in, he hasn't elevated his game enough. Yes, Manning led Texas to an epic comeback victory over Ohio State two weeks ago. But outside that performance, the junior quarterback has been inconsistent at best.

On Saturday, Manning threw no touchdowns, tossed an interception and was sacked six times. He took a delay-of-game penalty and was flagged twice for throwing an illegal forward pass. At times, he appeared slow to recognize what was happening around him and struggled to make decisions quickly. It was hardly the performance he envisioned in front of his uncle Peyton, his grandfather and mentor Archie, and much of his family, who were seated together in a box.

It wasn’t all on Manning, of course. Texas couldn’t get its running game going, rushing for just 61 yards on 1.7 yards per carry behind a shaky offensive line. The Longhorns also lost receiver Cam Coleman, who had just one catch before leaving the game with an apparent injury.

For Texas, the hope is that Manning continues to grow before the SEC schedule gets even tougher. The Longhorns' next test comes against Oklahoma on Oct. 10.

2. Way Too Many Costly Penalties For The Longhorns

Texas had 11 penalties for 115 yards, and seven of those came in the first half. Three of the penalties were by Manning and one was by defensive end Colin Simmons, who was called for a vulgar unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the first half after making his second sack of the game.

"We took him out, we addressed it and put him back in," Sarkisian told reporters afterward. "At that point, I’m not going to give the guy the death penalty over an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. We have to fix it. That can’t continue as we move forward."

Another costly penalty came in the third quarter when Texas' special teams tried to get sneaky on a punt. Ryan Niblett put his hands up as if he were going to catch the ball, hoping to convince Tennessee that he was the returner when he was actually serving as a decoy. Instead, Jermaine Bishop Jr. caught the punt and returned it, only for the play to be overturned because Niblett’s signal was ruled a fair catch. 

Then, with 21 seconds remaining and Tennessee down three points while trying to get into field-goal range, Zina Umeozulu was flagged for a facemask on third-and-19, giving the Vols a first down and a better chance to complete the comeback – though Tennessee ultimately couldn’t capitalize.

The number of penalties against Texas shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Longhorns have struggled with discipline throughout Sarkisian’s tenure, finishing as the fifth-most penalized team in the country last season after ranking among the nation’s most-penalized teams the two years prior. 

3. The Longhorns’ Defense is Becoming Their Identity

Despite his crude and unnecessary unsportsmanlike penalty in the first half, Simmons was dominant throughout, finishing with five sacks, which tied a program single-game record. He lined up in different positions, constantly keeping the Tennessee offensive line and freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon on edge.

"That’s a real player right there," Manning said on the broadcast after the game.

Simmons and the Texas defense — which is now run by defensive coordinator Will Muschamp — limited Tennessee’s offense to 221 total yards and 2.9 yards per play. And while they let Brandon lead the Vols on a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to make it a three-point game, the Longhorns came through in the end when defensive back Jelani McDonald batted down Brandon’s Hail Mary pass.

While Manning and the Texas offensive line find their way, it will be the defense driving the program for now.

4. CFP Stakes Get Higher, Games Get Tougher

We’re at that point in the season now where everybody is firmly entrenched in conference play. And in the SEC, that means the College Football Playoff stakes get higher and the games get tougher.

Texas is idle next week before traveling to Dallas to face Oklahoma in the annual Red River Shootout. Neither Texas nor Oklahoma have proved to be consistent or dominant performers this first month of the season, but it’s a must-win for CFP hopes and, obviously, bragging rights. Then the Longhorns go through a top-25 gauntlet where they’ll face five straight ranked opponents in a row in October and November.

Tennessee has a much more manageable schedule. The Vols only have three ranked opponents remaining (as of right now), all of which are winnable matchups, meaning they could go on a run and give themselves a chance of making the CFP.