Texas fans may have just witnessed one of the more embarrassing losses of the Steve Sarkisian era.
For the second straight week, Texas watched a double-digit lead disappear in a 27-24 loss to Florida on Saturday afternoon in Austin.
After leading Florida 17-3 early in the second quarter, the Longhorns seemed well-positioned to bounce back from their disappointing loss to the Sooners. Instead, they surrendered 24 unanswered points, falling to 4-2 and suffering consecutive losses for the first time since 2021.
There were some positives, but the same problems that have been limiting Texas all season once again appeared on Saturday afternoon.
The Good - Ryan Niblett’s Special Teams Spark
With Texas up 10-3, Ryan Niblett provided Texas’ biggest play of the afternoon.
Fielding a Florida punt, Niblett made the first defender miss before finding open space and racing for a 63-yard touchdown. It was the third punt-return touchdown of his career, tying the Texas record.
His 17-yard return late in the fourth quarter also set Texas up near midfield, giving the Longhorns one final opportunity to complete their comeback.
Unfortunately, Arch Manning couldn’t answer the call.
The Bad - Arch Manning Can’t Figure It Out
It was déjà vu in DKR.
For the second straight week, Arch Manning had the opportunity to lead Texas to a late victory. And for the second straight week, a costly turnover ended those hopes.
Trailing 27–24 with just over two minutes remaining, Manning dropped back on second-and-8 before being sacked by Florida linebacker Myles Graham.
He lost the football and the Gators recovered, effectively ending Texas' hopes of a comeback.
A Florida team that had been dead last in the SEC in pass defense, allowing 268.67 passing yards a game, seemed like the perfect opportunity to let Manning air it out.
Yet he finished just 14-of-20 passing for 173 yards and a touchdown, with 62 of those yards coming on a single fourth-down completion to Emmett Mosley V.
Perhaps more concerning was his hesitation in the pocket.
On one downfield attempt, Manning forced a deep ball into double coverage that was nearly intercepted, despite having acres of green grass ahead of him and an opportunity to pick up significant yardage with his legs.
Sometimes, he simply made wrong decisions.
Facing second-and-3 in the first quarter, Manning had an open Cam Coleman who appeared positioned for a touchdown. Instead, he opted for the easy pass to Hollywood Smothers that still sailed over his head — a recurring theme for Manning on Saturday.
The Ugly - Steve Sarkisian’s Offensive Struggles Continue
The Florida Gators had surrendered 83 points in the past two weeks.
Against that same defense, Texas managed just 272 total yards and 17 offensive points.
The Longhorns converted only two of their 10 third-down attempts, continuing a troubling trend. Week after week, Texas’ third-down conversion rate has plummeted, falling from 73.3% against Texas State to just 20% on Saturday.
Its third-down conversion rate now stands at 22.2% in SEC games.
Leading 17–3 in the second quarter, the Longhorns had a chance for a fourth-and-1 conversion. Seems like a good opportunity to run a sneak with their 6-foot-4, 222-pound quarterback.
Nope. Steve Sarkisian called a handoff to Hollywood Smothers out of shotgun that ends in a one-yard loss. Florida scored a touchdown on the following drive and all of a sudden, it was a one-score game.
Texas went seven consecutive possessions without scoring after its second offensive drive. The Longhorns had just two possessions in the third quarter. Both ended in three-and-outs.
The defense wasn't without blame, either, surrendering eight third-down conversions on 11 attempts in the second half.
But for a team with this much offensive talent, the continued inability to sustain drives is becoming increasingly difficult to overlook.
And with another SEC loss on the record, Sarkisian is running out of time to find the answers.
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