Lone Star Showdown Stunner: Texas Spoils Aggies’ Perfect Season and SEC Title Dream

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AUSTIN, TX — The Lone Star Showdown returned with a vengeance on Friday night, and the No. 16 Texas Longhorns delivered a stunning 27-17 victory over the undefeated No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies, spoiling their perfect season, eliminating them from the SEC Championship Game, and sending a thunderous message to the College Football Playoff committee.

The game, which marked a new chapter in the renewed rivalry, was a defensive struggle early, with the Aggies taking a 10-3 lead into halftime. However, the second half belonged entirely to the Longhorns, who seized control with 17 unanswered points after the break, fueled by the explosive play of quarterback Arch Manning and a dominant rushing attack.

Manning, who started the season facing massive scrutiny, had his signature performance. He threw a spectacular 29-yard touchdown pass to receiver Ryan Wingo in the third quarter—a leaping catch that gave Texas its first lead at 13-10. Manning wasn’t done, later putting the game away with his legs on a gutsy 35-yard touchdown run up the middle on third down with just over seven minutes remaining, extending the lead to 27-17. Manning finished the night having completed nine of his last twelve passes for 151 yards and tallied 53 crucial rushing yards.

The Longhorns’ run game, which had been inconsistent throughout the season, erupted in the second half. Running back Quintrevion Wisner racked up a season-high 155 rushing yards, systematically wearing down the vaunted Texas A&M defensive front that Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed credited with having a better game plan in the decisive second half.

For the Aggies, who entered the game 11-0 and with Heisman hopes for Reed, the second-half collapse was brutal. After cutting the Texas lead to 20-17 early in the fourth quarter, the offense stalled. Reed, who had bravely returned after an early ankle scare, threw two critical fourth-quarter interceptions, the final one at the Texas 3-yard line, sealing the Aggies’ fate. The loss means Texas A&M misses out on their first-ever SEC Championship appearance and must now wait nervously to see how far they drop in the final CFP rankings.

With their final regular-season record now standing at 9-3, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian immediately made his case to the committee, stating, “We are absolutely a playoff team and worthy of an opportunity to play for a national championship.” The Longhorns will cling to their three wins over ranked opponents, including this massive upset, as they await their final bowl destination.