Arch Manning threw a touchdown pass and ran for the clinching score late in the fourth quarter as No. 16 Texas beat No. 3 Texas A&M 27-17 on Friday night.
The 21-year-old grandson of NFL icon Archie Manning, and nephew of Super Bowl winners Peyton and Eli, produced a stellar second-half display under center to spoil the Aggies’ undefeated season and knock them out of the Southeastern Conference championship game.
Manning’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Wingo in the third quarter gave the Longhorns a 13-10 lead in what had been a tight, defensive game. His 35-yard run up the middle on third down with 7:04 left to play then put them up 27-17.
Texas, which started the season No. 1 and at one point was unranked, beat a top-10 opponent for the third time this season to keep alive any faint hopes of making the College Football Playoff for the third consecutive time.
The Aggies are all but assured their first playoff berth, but the loss to their biggest rival will sting the program for a long time. Texas A&M has never played for an SEC title since joining the league in the 2012 season.
Quarterback Marcel Reed, who had emerged as a late-season Heisman Trophy contender and led them in a stunning second-half rally against South Carolina two weeks ago, threw two fourth-quarter interceptions against the Longhorns, one of them at the Texas 3.
Arch Manning threw a touchdown and ran for the crucial score in Texas’ win over Texas A&M
The 21-year-old grandson of NFL icon Archie Manning produced a stellar second-half display
Texas A&M led 10-3 at halftime before Texas seized control with 17 consecutive points in the third quarter.
The Aggies pulled to 20-17 before Manning’s big touchdown run. Facing third-and-short, he ran through the right side of the line, found a seam to slip into the secondary and clutched the ball tightly as he crossed the goal line ahead of a lunging defender.
The quarterback prodigy finished with 179 passing yards and a touchdown after completing 14 of his 29 passes, while he also recorded seven carriers for 53 rushing yards and the game-clinching touchdown.
Manning, who is still believed to be one of the top quarterback prospects for the upcoming NFL Draft, has found his feet for Texas in recent weeks after a shaky start to the season.
He put up his top performance of the season in a 52-37 victory over Arkansas last weekend after completing 18-of-39 passes for 389 yards and four touchdowns. It was the most passing yards and touchdowns he’s had all season long.
Those weren’t the only accomplishments he had on the day, as he also ran in for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass from receiver Parker Livingstone on a trick play – bringing his total to six scores on the afternoon.
