No. 1 Texas survives Neyland, 20-17, after Tennessee scores late and recovers an onside kick. A broken-up heave to the end zone seals it.
No. 1 Texas walked into Neyland Stadium as the favorite and walked out with a lesson in how fast a lead can shrink. Yahoo Sports reports the Longhorns held on to beat No. 14 Tennessee 20-17 on Saturday in a lively stadium that included President Donald Trump. Arch Manning, who hit on only half his passes last week against UTSA, opened by completing his first seven throws for 120 yards against the alma mater of his uncle, Peyton Manning. A 43-yard deep ball to Emmett Mosley V set up Raleek Brown's 9-yard touchdown run on the opening drive, and a field goal made it 10-3 at the half. Penalties and ball-security problems kept Texas from pulling away. Late in the first half, Colin Simmons finished a 16-yard sack that would have left Tennessee facing fourth-and-29, then drew an unsportsmanlike conduct flag "for simulating using the restroom," giving back the field position. He made up for it with three second-half sacks. Tennessee tied it early in the third quarter when Qua Moss returned a punt 57 yards for a touchdown. Manning answered, taking a hit as he lofted a 30-yard pass that Cam Coleman laid out to catch, and a 44-yard field goal made it 13-10. Brown's second touchdown run, midway through the fourth, looked like the clincher. It wasn't. Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon led a 10-play, 80-yard drive capped by a 30-yard touchdown pass, and Jackson Ross's dropkick onside kick ricocheted off Ryan Wingo to linebacker Arion Carter. With a little more than a minute left, Tennessee's last drive ended when Jelani McDonald broke up a heave to the end zone. Coach's closing line: good teams find a way to win on a bad day. But the film doesn't lie, and a team that flags itself out of field position in September pays for it in November.
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