Before he even set foot in Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium this morning, Texas quarterback Arch Manning was visibly hyped up, getting Longhorn fans excited as he walked past the crowd outside.
Then, before they ran out of the tunnel, Manning made sure everyone knew just how excited he was to be back home, as Texas had its first home game since September 20.
"We're back at the f-ing crib!" Manning shouted into the ABC camera positioned directly behind him.
As soon as he stepped into the game, he completed a pass to Ryan Wingo for a 75-yard touchdown, and after that, there was no looking back.
Arch is fired up 🤘🏻 pic.twitter.com/IcdBSy02cE
— Chris Bennett (CB) (@chrisgb002000) November 1, 2025
Manning had the game of a lifetime, completing over 75 percent of his pass attempts for 328 yards and three touchdowns through the air, connecting with 10 different receivers throughout the game. Even the Texas running backs seemed to figure their game out, as CJ Baxter and Quintrevion Wisner combined for nearly 100 yards.
Arch Manning may have turned a corner during the Mississippi State comeback 😳 pic.twitter.com/USBC8BPgPu
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) November 1, 2025
The Longhorns' defense was as dominant as ever, earning six sacks against a Vanderbilt team that had only given up seven total sacks through the first eight games of the season. Colin Simmons, Ethan Burke, Anthony Hill Jr., Trey Moore, and Brad Spence each got to the Commodore quarterback Diego Pavia at least once.
Despite a fourth-quarter surge by the Vanderbilt offense and a nearly perfect onside kick attempt, Texas pulled off the 34-30 victory.
Behind nine tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and one pass deflection, Pavia couldn't find his footing against the Horns until it was too late, and it paid off as Texas earned the much-needed win over the No. 9 team.
With the win, No. 20 Texas moved to 7-2 overall and 4-1 in SEC play, taking one step closer to earning a third consecutive appearance in the College Football Playoffs. Meanwhile, No. 9 Vanderbilt fell to 7-1 overall and 3-2 in SEC play, possibly knocking them out of playoff contention.
After a bye week, the Longhorns have to visit the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs in a big-time clash on Saturday, Nov. 15.