In the battle to define the true UT — and settle the debate over who wears the best shade of orange — Texas escaped Neyland Stadium with a dramatic 20-17 SEC victory over Tennessee on Saturday afternoon.
The last time these storied programs met, on Jan. 1, 1969, Texas was running Darrell Royal’s wishbone into the Cotton Bowl and cruised to a 36-13 victory. This time, No. 1 Longhorns needed a pass breakup in the end zone in a Hail Mary to deny the No. 1 Volunteers. 14 and to preserve the victory.
It was a long awaited 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 admitted as much during his post-match interview on the air, 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 four matchup:
1. Arch Manning hasn’t taken that next step
Arch Manning threw for 201 yards and an interception in Texas’ win over Tennessee. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
The prevailing feeling in the college football world at the end of last season was that Manning was ready 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 later, he hasn’t elevated his game enough. Yes, Manning led Texas to an epic comeback win over Ohio State two weeks ago. But outside of that performance, the diminutive quarterback has been inconsistent at best.
On Saturday, Manning threw no touchdowns, threw one interception and was sacked six times. He received a delay of game penalty and was flagged twice for throwing an illegal forward pass. At times, he seemed slow to recognize what was going on 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 most of his family, who were sitting 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. Too many costly penalties for The Longhorns
Raleek Brown ran for 67 yards and two touchdowns in Texas’ Week 4 win. (Photo by Roger Wimmer/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
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 by defensive end Colin Simmons, who was called for one penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct in the first half after making his second sack of the game.
“We took him out, addressed him and put him back in.” Sarkisian told reporters afterward. “At that point, I’m not going to give the guy the death penalty because of an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. We’ve got to fix that. This can’t continue as we go forward.”
Another costly penalty came in the third quarter when Texas’ special teams attempted to sneak a punt. Ryan Niblett raised his hands as if 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 snap and returned it, only for the play to be overturned because Niblett’s signal was ruled a fair catch.
Then, with 21 seconds left 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 should come as no surprise. The Longhorns have struggled with discipline throughout Sarkisian’s tenure, finishing as the nation’s fifth-most penalized team last season after ranking among the nation’s most penalized teams the previous two years.
3. The protection of longhorns is becoming their identity
Texas held Tennessee to just 221 yards of total offense in the Longhorns’ 20-17 victory. (Photo by Roger Wimmer/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Despite his roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the first half, Simmons was dominant throughout, finishing with five sacks, which tied a program record for a single game. He lined up at various positions, constantly keeping Tennessee’s offensive line and freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon on edge.
“That’s a real player out there,” Manning said on the postgame broadcast.
Simmons and the Texas defense — now led by defensive coordinator Will Muschamp — limited the Tennessee 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 drive in the fourth quarter to make it a three-point game, the Longhorns came up short when defensive back Jelani McDonald hit Brandon’s Hail Mary pass.
As Manning and the Texas offensive line find their way, it will be the defense that leads the program for now.
4. CFP stakes go up, games get tougher
Texas improved to 4-0 on the season with a win over Tennessee. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
We’re at that point in the season now where everyone 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 proven to be consistent or dominant performers this first month of the season, but it’s a must-win for CFP hopes and, arguably, bragging rights. The Longhorns then run a top-25 gauntlet where they will face five consecutively ranked opponents in October and November.
Tennessee has a much more manageable schedule. The Vols only have three ranked opponents left (for now), all of which are winnable games, meaning they can go on a run and give themselves a chance to make the CFP.
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