Longhorns in Free Fall: Florida Stuns No. 7 Texas as Sarkisian Opens Door to QB Change
Two weeks ago Texas was ranked No. 1.
On Saturday, the Longhorns blew a 17-3 lead at home and lost 27-24 to a Florida team that was unranked, riding a two-game losing streak and starting a backup quarterback.
It is Texas’ second straight 27-24 loss to an unranked opponent, following last week’s defeat to Oklahoma.
Manning Under the Microscope
Arch Manning‘s afternoon ended the way the offense’s day went.
With about two minutes left and Texas trying to answer, Florida sent an overload blitz, linebacker Myles Graham sacked the quarterback, and the ball came loose. Florida recovered at the Texas 39 and sealed the win.
ARCH’S NUMBERS
Completions / Attempts: 14 / 20
Passing Yards: 173
Passing Touchdowns: 1 (a 9-yard TD pass to Cam Coleman)
Interceptions: 0
Sacks Allowed: 5
Turnovers: 1 lost fumble (strip-sacked late in the 4th quarter)
Manning was sacked five times. He finished with 173 passing yards and one touchdown, and the Florida pass defense had been ranked in the 100s in most statistical categories. Texas converted only 2 of 10 third downs and held the ball for just 21:49 to Florida’s 38:11. The Gators outgained the Longhorns 313 yards to 272.
Sarkisian’s Decisions Draw Fire
Coach Steve Sarkisian did not shut down questions about benching his quarterback. “Everything means everything,” he said, adding that it would be easy to blame Manning but “nobody was perfect on offense today.”
Texas ran only 50 offensive plays, the fewest of Sarkisian’s tenure, and he said the team “kind of bled out.” Backups KJ Lacey and freshman Dia Bell sit behind Manning on the depth chart.
Critics are asking why an offense with a big early lead could not sustain drives or protect a lead in either of the past two games.
Texas is the first AP top-10 team since 2003 to blow a double-digit lead in consecutive weeks against unranked opponents. It is also the first team since 1961 Michigan State to lose its next two games to unranked opponents after being ranked No. 1.
Replace the Quarterback?
What It Means for the Postseason
At 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the SEC, Texas is in a deep hole.
Pro Football Network’s playoff model put the Longhorns’ playoff odds at 72.4% before kickoff and 53.5% afterward, though that estimate came before the rest of the day’s games finished.
The path is brutal: No. 9 Ole Miss at home, then Mississippi State, followed by road trips to Missouri and LSU, a home game against Arkansas and the finale at Texas A&M.
Most analysts say Texas essentially has to win out.
Two-loss SEC teams have made the 12-team field before, but an Austin American-Statesman column was blunter, saying the playoff hopes are dying.
Defensive tackle Hero Kanu insisted, “We still believe.”
Edge rusher Colin Simmons also left the game with an apparent ankle injury, adding another worry before Ole Miss visits next Saturday.
A final word from Arch:
Sore loser fan:
The Longhorns, predictably, fall in the new AP Top 25 College Football Poll.
Sources:
- ESPN, “Sarkisian: Texas to ‘evaluate everything’ after loss to Florida” — https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/50203108/texas-evaluate-everything-loss-florida
- OutKick (Fox News), “Steve Sarkisian vows to ‘evaluate everything,’ won’t rule out benching Arch Manning” — https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/steve-sarkisian-vows-evaluate-everything-wont-rule-out-benching-arch-manning-amid-texas-two-game-skid
- OutKick (Fox News), “Texas blows 14-point lead, Arch Manning experiences first home loss” — https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/texas-blows-14-point-lead-arch-manning-experiences-first-home-loss-questions-mount-austin
- Austin American-Statesman, “Steve Sarkisian doesn’t rule out benching Arch Manning after Florida loss” — https://www.statesman.com/sports/longhorns/football/article/arch-manning-stats-texas-football-florida-22472598.php
- Austin American-Statesman, Golden column on Texas’ CFP hopes — https://www.statesman.com/sports/columns/article/texas-football-vs-florida-sec-steve-sarkisian-cfp-22472808.php
- Yahoo Sports/HEAVY, “Arch Manning Gets Blasted After Texas’ Embarrassing Loss to Florida” — https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/arch-manning-gets-blasted-texas-233247821.html
- USA TODAY via Yahoo Sports, “Can Texas make College Football Playoff?” — https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/texas-college-football-playoff-longhorns-194746205.html
- Pro Football Network, “‘Everything Is Going to Be Evaluated'” — https://profootballnetwork.com/cfb/sarkisian-arch-manning-everything-evaluated
- EssentiallySports, “Arch Manning Fumbles With 2 Minutes on Clock” — https://www.essentiallysports.com/ncaa-college-football-news-arch-manning-fumbles-with-two-minutes-on-clock-steve-sarkisian-issues-notice-as-texas-screws-up-fourteen-point-lead-vs-florida/
- Heartland College Sports (citing CBS Sports research), “Texas Makes History After Back-to-Back Losses” — https://www.heartlandcollegesports.com/2026/10/17/texas-history-back-to-back-losses-oklahoma-florida-2026/
- FanSided, “Can Texas still make the College Football Playoff after Florida upset?” — https://fansided.com/college-football/can-texas-still-make-the-college-football-playoff-after-florida-upset-horns-have-uphill-climb
- Houston Chronicle, “Texas football: Bench Arch Manning?” — https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/college/longhorns/article/texas-football-arch-manning-florida-22481951.php
The Round Rock Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance in identifying a person of interest in connection with an assault that occurred in the Homestead at Old Settlers Park neighborhood last weekend.
A 47-year-old man is in custody following a knife attack that injured two people and triggered a SWAT response at a Williamson County home, authorities said.
Deputies responded to a call reporting an assault and found two victims with non-life-threatening knife wounds. Both were taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Local emergency crews will be out near Metro Drive and US 183 today as the Leander Fire and Police Departments lead a joint training exercise with Liberty Hill, Cedar Park, and CapMetro.
An apartment fire just west of MoPac Saturday.
Housing advocacy groups and local activists rallied outside the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Austin on Saturday, targeting Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale and his conservative think tank, the Cicero Institute, during their “Courage Awards” ceremony.
Organized by VOCAL-TX and supporting community groups, demonstrators protested Lonsdale’s influence on state legislation across the country that criminalizes unsheltered homelessness, enforces public camping bans, and conditions municipal funding on mandatory mental health enforcement rather than supportive “Housing First” models.
Protesters called out what they described as billionaire-backed policies that penalize poverty instead of investing in long-term affordable housing solutions.
As early voting kicks off in Travis County, events by both Republican leaders and the group No Kings aim to educate voters and boost turnout.
WEATHER
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AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
With early voting set to open Monday, Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico are crisscrossing Texas on competing bus tours, one evoking the Texas Revolution and the other borrowing from “Friday Night Lights,” in a Senate race that polls show is tight.
Paxton, the state attorney general, launched an 18-day “Come and Take It” tour Saturday at Rockwall Municipal Airport, with plans to end at the Alamo on the eve of Election Day. He made a second stop in Killeen the same day.
Talarico, a state representative from Austin, begins his 20-city “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts” tour today, saying he wants to unite working people on one team.
Meanwhile, many right-leaning podcasters and social media influencers are beginning to walk back their theories on Talarico’s “FluGate” conspiracy that was promptly debunked.
Gov. Greg Abbott also spent the weekend in the spotlight. He hosted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at a Governor’s Mansion tailgate Friday ahead of the Longhorns’ game against Florida.
This week on Eye on Politics, the home stretch begins for the 2026 midterm elections as early voting opens up in Texas this week. Here’s a look at where candidates stand now, from local elections to state and federal offices.
The race for U.S. Senate remains tight as Ken Paxton and James Talarico make their case to supporters before early voting.
Daniel Greer sits down with Senator Pete Flores, who represents Texas Senate District 24. They discuss his efforts to combat AI-generated child p*rnogr@phy, along with Texas’ growing water and data-center concerns.
On this edition of “Inside the Investigation,” our team examines the rapid expansion of data centers, the energy consumption and environmental impact. KXAN’s Arezow Doost and Dylan McKim discuss why Texas lawmakers want oversight.
(Episode from October 17, 2026)
A suspected poaching call took an unexpected turn in Crockett County earlier week, leading to a narcotics arrest.
DIESEL PRICES
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SPORTS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Despite cutting Florida’s lead 27-24 on a 9-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter, No. 7/6 Texas could not overcome the deficit, falling to the Gators (5-2, 3-2), 27-24, in front of 103,989 fans at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Longhorns (4-2, 1-2 SEC) raced to a 17-3 lead after Ryan Niblett returned a punt 63 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, tying the program record for career punt return touchdowns with three. Niblett became the fourth Longhorn to record three career punt return scores and now ranks eighth in program history with 668 career punt return yards.
Manning finished 14-of-20 passing for 173 yards and a touchdown.
Texas regained possession with 2:32 remaining, but Florida forced a Manning fumble that was recovered, allowing the Gators to run out the clock.
Up next, Texas will host Ole Miss at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 24. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and will be televised on ABC. (Texas Longhorns)
ON THE SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24
TEXAS A&M / TEXAS TECH / HOUSTON
NFL: It’s Sunday morning football for the Houston Texans in London.
UPDATE:
The Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little made a 60-yard field goal with 1:55 remaining to tie the score, but the Texans’ offense then marched down the field for Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn to make a 49-yarder with no time left to life Houston to a hard-fought 34-31 win in London. (NBC Sports)
While the Texans played this morning, the Dallas Cowboys play under the lights tonight.
MLS: Austin FC fell 2-1 to Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday night at Q2 Stadium. (Austin FC)
ON THE SCHEDULE
NHL: Jake Oettinger made 19 saves for his NHL-leading third shutout in six games, Arttu Hyry scored twice and the Dallas Stars beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0 on Saturday night. (Associated Press via MSN)
ON THE SCHEDULE
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20
Buckle up.
This event, held at SpaceX’s test facility in McGregor, Texas, serves as a high-octane showcase for the new Tesla Roadster. Presented by Tesla leadership, the event emphasizes a collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX to push the boundaries of automotive performance.
