AUSTIN — It hasn’t been pretty, but the Texas Longhorns have won three straight SEC games as they had back home to Austin after a month since their last home game at DKR.
Things hardly get easier though, as No. 20 Texas will host the No. 9 Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday looking for a chance to secure the second Top-10 win of the season. The Longhorns are coming off back-to-back overtime wins over Kentucky and Mississippi State, which followed a 23-6 win over then-No. 6 Oklahoma on Oct. 11.
The Longhorns beat Vanderbilt last season in Nashville, 27-24, and are betting favorites to do so once again despite Arch Manning potentially being in danger of missing the contest after reportedly suffering a concussion on Saturday against Mississippi State, per ESPN.
Vanderbilt Commodores safety Jalen Gilbert drags Texas Longhorns wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. down just before the goal line during the first half at FirstBank Stadium. / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Texas is currently a 2.5-point favorite a little less than a week from kickoff.
It’s possible this line could move if Manning ends being included on the SEC availability report later in the week, but for the now, the books favor the Longhorns.
Manning had a career day in the win over Mississippi State, finishing 29 of 46 passing for a career-high 346 yards along with three touchdowns and one interceptions while also adding a rushing touchdown.
Texas Longhorns quarterback Matthew Caldwell throws a pass during the second half against the Sam Houston Bearkats at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
If he’s unable to start, Matthew Caldwell will get the call. He threw the go-ahead 10-yard touchdown pass to Emmett Mosley V in overtime on Saturday, giving Texas fans some confidence that he would be able to step in well for Manning in the event that the reported concussion forces him to sit out.
Arch Manning vs. Diego Pavia would certainly be a QB battle that would generate notable headlines, but the Longhorns will have to prepare for the possibility that it’s Caldwell instead.
So far this season, Caldwell has gone 8 of 11 passing for 85 yards, one touchdown and no picks. He’s also responsible for Texas’ longest rush of the season, a 50-yarder against Sam Houston State.
Caldwell had a career season at Troy last year after one year at Jacksonville State and two at Gardner-Webb.
Last season at Troy, Caldwell completed 141 of 223 passes for 1,608 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also added five rushing touchdowns, which were the most by a Troy quarterback since the 2017 season.