The Japan Times - Arch Manning Leads Texas Past LSU With Last-Second Touchdown

BATON ROUGE, La. — Arch Manning added his name to a lineage of family comebacks at Tiger Stadium, leading No. 8 Texas to a 22-21 victory over No. 24 LSU on Saturday night.

Manning found Raleek Brown for a 4-yard touchdown pass along the left sideline with three seconds remaining, escaping Death Valley with the win. The result kept Texas (8-2, 5-2 SEC, No. 6 CFP) firmly in contention for a College Football Playoff spot while virtually eliminating LSU (6-4, 3-4, No. 21 CFP).

Manning, who also rushed for an early score, finished with an unspectacular 19-of-35 passing performance for 174 yards and one touchdown alongside three interceptions. However, his efficiency peaked during Texas’s final drive, which began on its own 42-yard line with the Longhorns trailing 21-16 and 2:19 left on the clock.

Manning converted three critical third downs, including a five-yard pass and two runs by his own legs, to set up the decisive strike into the end zone. The touchdown occurred near where his parents, Cooper and Ellen Manning, were seated in the stands.

The victory echoed historical precedents for the Manning family at this venue. In 1968, Arch’s grandfather, Archie, led Mississippi to a comeback win at Tiger Stadium. His uncle, Eli, achieved a similar feat in 2001. For Texas to secure the win, a third-generation Manning had to follow suit after LSU running back Dilin Jones wove through the defense for a 44-yard scoring run that gave the Tigers a 21-10 lead with 5:52 remaining in the third quarter.

Texas gradually chipped away at the deficit. Kicker Gianni Spetic contributed field goals of 41 and 50 yards to cut LSU’s advantage to 21-16. Earlier, Texas quarterback Sam Leavitt had passed for 244 yards and two touchdowns to Jackson Harris but also threw three interceptions. LSU also suffered from a missed 38-yard field goal at the end of the first half, which concluded with the Tigers holding a 14-10 lead.

The final score leaves Texas with a narrow path to the playoff, while LSU’s postseason hopes are effectively extinguished following the loss in the state where Arch Manning was raised.

T.Kobayashi--JT