We all have a wise elder in our family who told us at one time or another, “It’s not how you start, but you how finish.”
I’m hoping that old codger was watching Texas football’s 34-31 win Saturday over No. 9 Vanderbilt because it was all about how the No 20 Longhorns started.
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The finish left a lot to be desired.
The Texas Longhorns celebrate a touchdown by running back Quintrevion Wisner (5) during the game against Vanderbilt at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
The game turned out to be closer than it should have been — Vanderbilt’s last-minute onside kick trickled out of bounds before the Commodores could corral it — but it was the most electric first quarter of Texas’ brief SEC history and the most impactful of its 2025 season. Vanderbilt, in the midst of a program renaissance under highly regarded head coach Clark Lea, walked into a good old-fashioned Southern ambush at Royal-Memorial Stadium.
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) celebrates the team’s 34-31 win over the Vanderbilt Commodores at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Nov. 1, 2025.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) throws passes during warmups ahead of the game against Vanderbilt at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
It was anything but “easy like Saturday morning” for these Commodores who rallied late but to no avail.
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Texas jumped on the No. 9 team in America and never looked back. Quarterback Arch Manning shrugged off the effects of the big hit he took at Mississippi State and piloted a 17-point early uprising that started with a 75-yard first-play touchdown connection with speedy Ryan Wingo, who left later in the quarter with what looked to be a thumb injury.
MORE CEDDY: Can the Horns win with or without Arch Manning?
The Longhorns came out of the blocks like Ben Johnson before he got popped in Seoul. The 17 points were the most the Horns have scored in an opening quarter in an SEC game, topping the 14 they posted en route to a 35-0 halftime lead at home against Florida in last year’s league debut. Over these last two meetings, Texas holds a huge 31-7 first-quarter edge over the Commodores.
And just like that, the Horns are on a roll, fresh off two overtime great escapes at Kentucky and Mississippi State. At 7-2 overall and 4-1 in SEC play, the Horns are all of sudden alive and well in regard to the SEC title race.
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Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) hands the ball off to Texas Longhorns running back Quintrevion Wisner (5) during the game against Vanderbilt at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Horns put it all together
Coach Steve Sarkisian has used the phrase “complementary football” when talking about the need for the Horns to perform well in all phases if they are to meet their lofty preseason goals, and they got it in an electric opening 12 minutes. Manning put that cowbell concussion in the rear-view mirror and was 8-for-11 for 144 yards and a pair of scores. All told, the Horns outgained the Commodores 181-76 in the first 15 minutes. Manning finished with his second straight 300-yard game.
The defense held up its end, though defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski couldn’t have been happy with that late 67-yard touchdown pass to Eli Stowers and that long drive that kept things interesting. As for the big picture, Colin Simmons is playing as well any edge rusher in the country. Simmons filled up his stat sheet on a first-quarter sack of Diego Pavia: a tackle, a sack, a caused fumble and a fumble recovery all on one play. It was sack No. 6½ in his last four games.
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MORE HORNS: Safety Michael Taafe injury update
Now the Horns will get the bye week to heal up for another must-win against another ranked team. The Georgia Bulldogs have had their number of late with two straight victories, including a 22-19 heartbreaker in the 2024 SEC championship game, and have lost only one home game since 2019.
Texas Longhorns linebacker Ethan Burke (91) pressures Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) in the second quarter as the Longhorns take on the Vanderbilt Commodores at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Nov. 1, 2025.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
It will come down to three wins to make it to the SEC championship game and the Horns hold their destiny in their own hands, something few outside that locker room viewed as realistic after the 29-21 loss to Florida in early October. That happened to be the same weekend that longtime super fan Scott Wilson fell ill, on that same road trip. Wilson, who died Friday, attended 594 consecutive UT football games and another 1,564 UT baseball games in a row.
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He had the best seat in the house Saturday.
Scott and the rest of Longhorn Nation have to be encouraged by what they saw from this resurgent group. The Horns put it all together against quality competition and announced to the rest of the league they will be one tough out moving forward.