Arch Manning Leads Texas to LSU Victory With Late Touchdown Pass

Texas quarterback Arch Manning threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Raleek Brown with three seconds remaining on Saturday lifting the sixth-ranked Longhorns to a 22-21 victory over LSU at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, according to Fox News.

The finish erased an 11-point second-half deficit and ended the playoff hopes for the Tigers in Lane Kiffin’s first season, according to Yahoo Sports. The win secures a firm path toward the College Football Playoff for Texas.

“Emotional… you know both teams left it out there,” ESPN color commentator Kirk Herbstreit said.

Both signal-callers struggled with ball security during a mistake-filled contest. Manning threw three interceptions while absorbing four sacks and finishing 19-of-35 passing for 174 yards, alongside 35 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. Before the game-winning possession, Manning had completed just 13-of-27 passes for 120 yards and his three picks.

LSU safety Ty Benefield collected two of those interceptions. DJ Pickett intercepted another Manning pass in the fourth quarter to halt a Longhorns scoring threat. Meanwhile, LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt matched the turnover total with three interceptions of his own, all hauled in by Texas safety Jelani McDonald, who also tallied 11 tackles and a pass break-up.

The Tigers outgained Texas 366 total net yards to 273, holding a 122-99 advantage in rushing yards. They went 2-of-5 in red-zone conversions and punted four consecutive times after building their eleven-point lead.

Trailing 21-16 late in the fourth quarter after three field goals from kicker Gianni Spetic—connected from 42, 41, and 50 yards—Texas mounted a decisive 12-play, 58-yard march. Manning converted key third downs with his legs and arms before finding Brown in the left corner of the end zone.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 14 Texas vs LSU — Photo: Nbcsports

Earlier on the drive, an apparent fumble by Texas wide receiver Ryan Wingo was overturned on review. That allowed Manning to hit Wingo for subsequent gains before scrambling to the 4-yard line. Following an incompletion, Manning tossed the game-winning 4-yard strike to Brown with only three seconds remaining.

“I think in a bunch of years, I'm gonna tell everyone we had a game-winning drive,” Texas quarterback Arch Manning said, laughing.

That’s what college football is all about.

Arch Manning, Texas quarterback

The loss dropped LSU to 6-4 overall and 3-4 in conference play with an upcoming game against Tennessee remaining on the schedule. Kiffin described his team’s debut campaign as an underperformance.

Arch Manning Leads Texas to LSU Victory With Late Touchdown Pass — Photo: Yahoo Sports

Lane Kiffin said that his team played conservatively in the fourth quarter, attempting to protect their lead and play to their defense. Kiffin said it almost worked, but that they failed to make the necessary play at the end.

Texas improved to 8-2 and prepares to face Arkansas at home before concluding the regular season on the road against Texas A&M.

Earlier coverage: Texas Longhorns Defeat Missouri 34-20 as Arch Manning Throws Three TDs