COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The 119th meeting between Texas and Texas A&M had a little bit of everything in it as the Longhorns came out on top, 17-7, in College Station.
Breaking the plane of the goalline first was none other than redshirt sophomore quarterback Arch Manning. The young star used his legs and athleticism to dive into the endzone.
The following Longhorn touchdown was equally as astonishing as QB Quinn Ewers hit running back Jaydon Blue in the corner of the endzone for the score -- which took a few minutes of review to confirm.
Texas A&M struggled offensively as QB Marcel Reed completed 16 passes for 146 yards and one interception.
However, the Aggie defense provided a much-needed spark just over halfway through the third quarter as DB Will Lee III picked the ball off in the red zone and housed it 93 yards.
The Aggies forced another turnover in the fourth quarter but it was all Longhorns till the final whistle.
What’s at stake?
The winner gets a spot in the SEC championship game against Georgia in the renewal of a rivalry that dates to the 1890s. The Longhorns have dominated this series and have had bragging rights for the past 13 years after winning the last meeting in 2011 on a last-second field goal. Texas A&M looks to rebound from a four OT loss at Auburn and get a third win this season over an AP top-10 team.
Key matchup
Texas A&M’s running game vs. the Texas run defense. The Aggies rank 17th in the country by averaging 208.4 yards rushing and the Longhorns rank 13th against the run by holding teams to just 104 yards rushing. They had their best performance of the year last week against the Kentucky Wildcats, holding them to just 21 yards rushing on 30 attempts. Texas A&M has had at least 200 yards rushing in six games this season.
Players to watch
Texas: TE Gunnar Helm has been the steady drumbeat of the Texas offense. After totaling just 19 catches the previous three seasons, his 42 receptions for 544 yards this year lead the team in both categories. Soft hands, size and agility in a 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame make him a difficult matchup for any defense.
Texas A&M: QB Marcel Reed threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns, both season highs, in the loss to Auburn last week. The dual-threat quarterback, who was a backup to start the season, has thrown for 1,426 yards with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions and added 441 yards rushing with six TDs.
Facts & Figures
Texas has won 10 consecutive games on an opponent’s home field. The Aggies have won five in a row at home since a season-opening loss to Notre Dame … Texas has 12 sacks from 10 players over the last two games, and has allowed just four passing touchdowns this season … Texas coach Steve Sarkisian joins Darrell Royal and Mack Brown as the only Longhorns coaches with consecutive 10-win seasons. … Longhorns kicker Bert Auburn is 9 of 13 this season and is just 4 of 8 from beyond 40 yards. Aggies kicker Randy Bond's 19 field goals rank ninth in the country … The Aggies rank second in the country with a 95.6% conversion rate in the red zone. They have scored on 43 of 45 trips with 33 touchdowns.
This article was written with contributions from The Associated Press.
