Texas rallies past Missouri 34-20 to keep playoff hopes alive

No. 10 Texas rallied to beat No. 19 Missouri 34-20 on Saturday, keeping its College Football Playoff hopes alive. Arch Manning threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns, including the go-ahead pass to Raleek Brown with just over five minutes remaining.

Brown added 85 yards and a clinching touchdown on the ground. The Longhorns made several big defensive plays in the fourth quarter to secure their fourth win over a top-20 opponent this season.

“Anybody can play good football when it's easy. How do you play it when it's hard?”

The decisive defensive play came when Missouri tried to match Brown's go-ahead score. With about two minutes left, Jamal Roberts was stopped for a short gain before Austin Simmons threw incomplete. On third down, a defender knocked the ball into the air as it arrived for Cayden Lee, and Texas cornerback Graceson Littleton intercepted it.

Brown scored moments later to put the game away. Simmons finished with 252 passing yards and two touchdowns for Missouri, much of it coming on a 75-yard touchdown pass to Naeshaun Montgomery. Roberts, the SEC's leading rusher, was held to 66 yards.

It was the first meeting between the former Big 12 rivals since the 2017 Texas Bowl and Texas' first trip to Columbia since 2011. Missouri won that 2011 matchup 17-5. There were five video reviews in this game, all going against the Tigers.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said his team needed to hang together through adversity and be mentally tough. Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said the game came down to missed opportunities, not officials or reviews.