BATON ROUGE, La. Arch Manning connected with Raleek Brown for a 4-yard touchdown with three seconds remaining Saturday night, lifting No. 6 Texas past No. 21 LSU 22-21 at Tiger Stadium. The victory improved the Longhorns to 8-2 overall and 5-2 in the SEC, preserving their strong position in the College Football Playoff race while virtually ending LSU's hopes.
Texas took possession at its own 42-yard line with 2:19 remaining and a 21-16 deficit. Manning kept the drive alive with three third-down conversions, completing a 5-yard pass on one and running for the other two. He then delivered the winning throw along the left sideline to Brown, finishing a comeback after a difficult passing performance.
Manning completed 19 of 35 attempts for 174 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. He also ran for an early touchdown. His late success came in the state where he grew up, inside a stadium he had visited as a child. Before the game, he had shown teammates where he used to sit during those visits.
The touchdown came near the seats occupied by his parents, Cooper and Ellen. Before heading to the locker room, Manning embraced his father, who had moved to the front row behind that end zone. Manning said his father's encouragement to persevere helps him through difficult moments, and hearing that his father was proud made the finish especially memorable.
LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns, both to Jackson Harris, but also had three passes intercepted. The Tigers missed a 38-yard field goal before halftime and entered the break ahead 14-10. They extended their advantage to 21-10 when Dilin Jones scored on a weaving 44-yard run with 5:52 left in the third quarter.
Texas worked its way back through field goals of 41 and 50 yards from Gianni Spetic, narrowing the deficit to five points. Several crucial defensive stands then kept the Longhorns within reach and ultimately gave Manning the opportunity to decide the game on the final possession. LSU fell to 6-4 overall and 3-4 in conference play.
The comeback added another chapter to the Manning family's history at Tiger Stadium. Archie's Mississippi team rallied to win there in 1968, and Eli led Mississippi to a comeback victory in 2001. Their grandson and nephew followed with a late rally of his own.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian praised Manning's toughness and ability to recover from his earlier struggles against LSU's defense. For Manning, the return home and last-second finish carried lasting significance. "It's a memory I'll have for the rest of my life," he said.
