Texas finally got a much-needed win on Saturday night, beating No. 7 Ole Miss 34-27 to snap a two-game losing streak and keep its season from slipping away.
The Longhorns built an early 24-3 halftime lead before watching the Rebels claw back into the game and tie it up at 24 early in the fourth quarter. Then, Arch Manning responded with a touchdown run to put Texas back in front, and the Longhorns defense held on late to secure the win.
Manning finished 18 of 30 for 212 yards and one passing touchdown with two interceptions, along with two rushing scores. It wasn't his cleanest game, but the win was particularly important for Manning, who has been under fire over the last couple of weeks due to multiple costly turnovers in each of Texas' last two losses.
After the game, Manning shared a heartfelt moment with ESPN reporter Holly Rowe that quickly went viral.
"I think you need to start coming to our games more," Manning said in the postgame interview. "We're 3-0 with you this year."
The comment appeared to catch Rowe off guard as she looked visibly emotional as the exchange ended.
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The clip quickly spread across social media, with many fans praising Manning for what he said.
"Kid is learning quick," one user wrote.
"That really meant a lot to her," another commented.
"She read the comments too much, she needed that. W Arch," another replied.
"She was about to cry awww," one other fan wrote.
"That was a nice gesture. She got dragged," another added.
"Masterclass in dealing with the media," another said of Manning.
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That brief interaction attracted so much attention because Manning and Rowe had been at the center of a viral controversy earlier this season.
After Texas' dramatic win over Ohio State in September, head coach Steve Sarkisian had an awkward postgame interaction with Rowe, celebrating and walking away rather than finishing the interview with her. Someone then shared an AI-generated video that falsely depicted Sarkisian slapping Rowe and knocking her to the ground.
At a press conference the following Monday, Manning brought up the fake video, laughed, and called it "hilarious." He later caught heat for those comments as the clip depicted violence against women, even if the footage was fabricated. Manning apologized the next day, describing his comment as insensitive and saying he specifically wanted to apologize to Rowe.
Saturday's viral moment doesn't reveal everything about their relationship, but it suggests that they both have moved on from the earlier controversy.