Arch Manning has 4 TDs passing, 1 rushing and 1 receiving as No. 17 Texas beats Arkansas 52-37

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Arch Manning passed for four touchdowns, ran for one and caught another as No. 17 Texas beat Arkansas 52-37 on Saturday to keep the Longhorns clinging to hopes of making the College Football Playoff.

Ranked No. 1 in the preseason, the Longhorns (8-3, 5-2, Southeastern Conference, No. 17 CFP ) will have to beat third-ranked rival Texas A&M on Friday for a chance to make a case they deserve to be in the playoff for the third consecutive season.

“I do think we’re playing good football,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “The best way we can impress anybody is going and winning next Friday night.”

Manning, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, gets more impressive each week.

He is the first Texas quarterback with passing, running and receiving touchdowns in a game. Manning passed for a career-high 389 yards, and his do-everything day showed how far he’s come from the beginning of the season, when Texas struggled to a 3-2 start.

“Going through the tough games and the struggle, you know, I think you need that as a quarterback,” Manning said. “It’s not easy, but you try to overcome it. … Going through those tough experiences has helped me a lot.”

Manning connected with DeAndre Moore Jr. for three touchdowns. Manning’s touchdown catch on a reverse pass from Parker Livingstone was an athletic grab where he had to twist his 6-foot-4 frame and reach high to make the play. Livingstone also had a 54-yard TD reception.

“It was kind of sunny out and I lost it for a second,” Manning said. “He threw it well (in practice). He’s bailed me out a few times, so I had to bail him out.”

On his touchdown run at the start of the third quarter, Manning cut twice to elude tacklers before lunging across the goal line for a 31-20 lead.

“Even going into the game, he feels different in pregame than he did two months ago,” Sarkisian said. “He is playing at a high level at the right time for us.”

Arkansas (2-9, 0-7) kept it close early and was within 24-20 at halftime behind touchdown runs from quarterback Taylen Green and running back Mike Washington.

Green threw an interception on Arkansas’ first possession of the second half. The turnover set up another Texas touchdown when Manning escaped a sack and found Moore open in the back of the end zone.

The takeaway

Arkansas: The Razorbacks have lost nine in a row in a miserable season that saw coach Sam Pittman fired after five games. That stretch included six losses by six points or fewer before Saturday.

“In the second half we couldn’t get off the field and turned the ball over,” interim coach Bobby Petrino said. “For the first time, I felt like there was a couple of guys on the team whose attitude wasn’t what it needed to be. And that’s not what we are and not what we want.”

Texas: The Longhorns were missing starting linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. with a hand injury, and Sarkisian said he is hopeful that Hill will return against Texas A&M’s explosive offense. The Longhorns’ defense has surrendered at least 30 points in each of the last three games.

Bevo gets a game ball

Linebacker Liona Lefau scored the Longhorns’ first defensive touchdown of the season on a 48-yard fumble return in the fourth quarter. He ran to the back of the end zone and tossed the ball into the pen holding Bevo, Texas’ massive live steer mascot. Bevo appeared startled.

Up next

Arkansas hosts No. 22 Missouri next Saturday.

Texas hosts No. 3 Texas A&M on Friday.

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