COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Perhaps the trouble Texas had against Oklahoma and Florida had something to do with the number in front of those teams' names.
Or the lack thereof.
Two losses by a field goal apiece to a pair of unranked teams had everyone seemingly writing off Arch Manning and the Longhorns, even though they'd beaten then-No. 1 Ohio State and knocked off a ranked Tennessee bunch on the road. Texas still had some big-name foes on the schedule, and the idea of playing in the College Football Playoff appeared to be a long shot just a month ago.
Now it's very much a possibility again.
The No. 10 Longhorns got 297 yards passing and three touchdowns from Manning, a superb game from running back Raleek Brown and some big stops by their defense on Saturday, allowing them to rally for a 34-20 victory over No. 19 Missouri — their third straight win, two of those against ranked opponents.
“Like we say all the time, we're big-game hunters,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said, “and we showed up again today.”
So, the unranked Sooners and Gators weren't big enough game? OK, then.
Texas (7-2, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) certainly looked worthy of its No. 7 position in the initial CFP rankings on Saturday, especially in the second half, when it trailed Missouri (6-3, 3-3, No. 18 CFP) by a touchdown and a visiting stadium was roaring in its ear.
The Longhorns responded by scoring three unanswered touchdowns to put the game away.
The first came after a bizarre video review.
Texas was marching in search of a tying touchdown when Manning appeared to throw incomplete on third-and-10 at the Missouri 39 — except the officials called the loose ball a fumble. And despite replays that seemed to confirm that it was indeed a pass, one that went some 14 yards downfield, referee David Smith upheld the original call — one of five reviews that all went against Missouri.
Manning hit Jermaine Bishop Jr. from 25 yards out three plays later, tying the game at 20, and it was all Texas from there.
Manning followed with a touchdown pass to Brown out of the backfield to give the Longhorns the lead with 5:03 left, then their defense made the clinching play when a defender batted Austin Simmons' pass in the air and cornerback Graceson Littleton picked it off. Brown scored moments later, powering into the end zone and silencing a sellout crowd at Faurot Field.
“I think Coach Sark does a good job of preparing us for being on the road and in fun environments, and coming together, and being a fist when you have those hard times,” said Manning, who may have had one of the most complete games of his college career.
Even if he was unwilling to acknowledge it.
“I have to look at the video,” Manning said of his 28-of-38 passing performance. “I'm going to enjoy this one, enjoy the flight home with the guys, but we all know we have a big one next week.”
That's a trip to No. 14 LSU, which should mean a little more to Manning, who calls New Orleans home.
It's the only ranked opponent left on the schedule for Texas, ahead of games against Arkansas and Texas A&M, which would normally be a good thing — a relatively easy finish in a brutally difficult conference before a potential playoff berth.
Then again, the way Texas plays against ranked teams, maybe it's not such a good thing.
“I think this all goes back to our DNA. I really believe there's a toughness in our organization that is undeniable,” Sarkisian said. “Right when people want to count us out, we refuse to go away. We continue to fight. We continue to battle. We continue to practice hard.
“We're down some really good players right now,” Sarkisian said, referring to an injury list that includes running back Hollywood Smothers and left tackle Trevor Goosby, both out for the season. “This team kind of gets tighter — the more adversity we get, the tighter we get. I think that's a cultural thing. I think it's a toughness thing. I think it's a leadership thing.”
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