The Texas Longhorns suffered a shocking 29-21 upset loss to struggling Florida, exposing fatal flaws that could derail their entire season.
Fans expected Arch Manning to save Texas football and lead the team to a national championship. Instead, he looked lost when the Longhorns needed him most. He threw two interceptions after completing 16-of-29 passes for 263 yards. Those turnovers were definitely costly and led the team to defeat.
The worst moment came with 55 seconds left and Texas behind by eight points. Manning took two sacks that burned valuable seconds off the clock and got his helmet knocked off, forcing him to leave the field, then came back and took another sack.
His decision-making was not up to the mark as a whole in this one. Manning held the ball too long and missed open receivers all game long, who could have helped change the outcome, but it appeared Manning either didn't see them or didn't pull the trigger.
While Manning showed toughness behind a beat-up Texas offensive line, his inability to manage critical moments proved disastrous. The reality is harsh but true: Manning is not ready to carry this team against solid competition. His impressive performance against Sam Houston now looks like nothing more than beating up on an overmatched opponent.
Texas’ offensive line collapse proves costly
No other unit on the field had a worse performance than the offensive line. Texas gave up six sacks to a Florida defense that had recorded only three sacks total entering the game. Think about that for a moment. A defensive line that couldn't pressure anyone suddenly looked like an All-American unit against the Longhorns.
The running game was even more embarrassing. Texas finished with 52 rushing yards. Trey Wisner, who was expected to provide a spark after returning from injury, had virtually no room to operate.
Connor Stroh played so poorly that coaches benched him in mid-game, bringing in freshman Nick Brooks. The problem? Brooks provided zero improvement before Stroh took his place again. Even Trevor Goosby, who had been Texas's best offensive lineman through the first four games, got pushed around by Florida's defensive front.
This represents a massive strategic failure by head coach Steve Sarkisian and offensive line coach Kyle Flood. They had an entire offseason to address losing four starters, including top-10 NFL Draft pick Kelvin Banks. Texas has too many resources and access to any transfer portal player they want. Instead of bringing in experienced, proven linemen, they were completely off track with gambling on developing young players.
That gamble raised too many questions on the faces. With seven games remaining and tough matchups against Oklahoma, Georgia, and Texas A&M still on the schedule, this offensive line won't magically improve. Championship teams win in the trenches. Texas is getting destroyed in the trenches, their championship aspirations are about to die.
Texas’ star-studded defense falters against Florida
The defensive breakdowns might be more surprising than the offensive difficulties. Texas was supposed to have an elite defense, maybe the best in the country. Instead, it was torn to pieces by an offense that had been struggling.
Florida entered the game averaging just 11 points per game against FBS opponents. It had scored only 16 points against South Florida, 10 against LSU, and seven against Miami. Against Texas, the Gators scored 29 points.
The pass rush completely disappeared. DJ Lagway was not sacked against Texas after being under pressure almost the whole season. Florida’s offensive line, which was ranked 100th in the nation in sacks allowed, suddenly looked like the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers. Texas managed only three tackles for loss the entire game.
Florida piled up 457 total yards of offense. In perspective, it gained only 141 total yards against Miami the previous week. The Gators more than tripled their offensive production against the supposedly elite Texas defense.
The rushing defense failed miserably. Jadan Baugh broke tackle after tackle, consistently moving the pile forward. When Texas brought run blitzes, Florida still gained positive yards.
True freshman Dallas Wilson, making his season debut after injury, torched Texas for six catches, 111 yards, and two touchdowns. His 55-yard touchdown catch was particularly embarrassing, as he toasted cornerback Jelani McDonald before dragging Michael Taaffe into the end zone.
Florida converted 7-of-14 third downs despite ranking among the worst teams nationally in third-down percentage. Texas had no answers on third-and-medium or third-and-long situations.
This was defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski's worst performance at Texas since the disastrous 2021 season. This effort was completely unacceptable for a defense loaded with talent – including preseason All-American Colin Simmons and five transfer portal defensive linemen.
Coaching staff failed across all levels
On the other hand, the coaching staff finished the entire blame circle by having this team unprepared for a must-win SEC road game. The coaches failed in every decision, from the offseason to the game.
Sarkisian's offensive line gamble has ruined the entire season. Instead of taking from the transfer portal and addressing glaring position needs, Texas relied on unproven young players. They're now paying the price, and no solution is in sight.
The game management in the fourth quarter was baffling. Down just eight points with time remaining, Texas acted panicked, taking desperate deep shots instead of methodically working down the field. It treated an eight-point deficit like a 30-point blowout.
Special teams also collapsed. Texas allowed a blocked punt and consistently failed to pin Florida deep on punts. The team committed 10 penalties for 70 yards, showing a lack of discipline that has plagued them since last season.
This was a complete organizational failure. Losing to a Florida team with a single win that wished to fire their coach is no place for Texas. The team's season was expected to play in the College Football Playoffs, but might end up 8-4 or worse.
