Arch Manning and Colin Simmons earn SEC weekly honors after win over Vanderbilt
Texas placed a player on each side of the ball on the SEC Football Players of the Week list after their performances over Vanderbilt from DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
OFFENSIVE
Arch Manning, QB
- Manning posted his second-straight game of 300-plus yards passing and three passing touchdowns as he led the Longhorns to a 34-31 win over No. 9 Vanderbilt. It was the first time a Texas quarterback accomplished that in consecutive games since Sam Ehlinger in November 2018.
- He is also the fourth UT quarterback to reach both marks in three games in a season since 1999, joining Major Applewhite (1999), Colt McCoy 2009), and Casey Thompson (2021). Overall, Manning completed 25-of-33 attempts for 328 yards and three touchdowns in guiding the Longhorns to their second top-10 win of the season and their fourth-straight victory overall.
- It was also the first time in 30 years a Texas had eight different receivers with multiple catches and at least 15 yards receiving each. Manning opened the game with a 75-yard touchdown connection to Ryan Wingo on the first play of the game, his third 75-yard touchdown pass in the last two seasons, the third-most among FBS quarterbacks in that time.
- Manning later registered six-yard touchdown passes to both CJ Baxter and Emmett Mosley V as the Longhorns built a 34-10 lead through the first three quarters.
- For the season, Manning is now 168-of-268 (62.7%) for 2,123 yards and 18 touchdowns with just six interceptions. He now has three 300-yard passing games this season and four in his career. Manning ranks third in the SEC and 10th nationally in points responsible for with 144, while his 18 passing touchdowns are fourth in the SEC and 19th nationally.
CO-DEFENSIVE LINE
Colin Simmons, EDGE
- Simmons produced a strip-sack and also made the recovery on the first Vanderbilt possession of the game to go along with five tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and two pressures in Texas’ 34-31 win over the No. 9 Commodores.
- The recovery set up the UT offense at the Vanderbilt 29-yard line, which it converted for field goal and a 10-0 lead on the way to the win. On the Commodore’s next possession, Simmons pressured the quarterback into an incomplete pass on third-and-11 at midfield to force a punt.
- The Texas offense then drove 83 yards on that possession for a 17-0 lead. On the following Vanderbilt possession, Simmons registered a tackle for no gain and a half tackle for a four-yard loss, helping limit the Commodores to a field goal on the possession.
- Overall, Simmons efforts helped the Texas defense post six sacks, twice as many as quarterback Diego Pavia has ever suffered in a game in his career.
- This season, Simmons leads Texas with eight sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss and eight pressures. His 0.89 sacks per game rank second in the SEC and 9th in the FBS. In his last four games, Simmons has accounted for 6.5 sacks and 7 tackles for loss.
Texas has a bye this week before heading to Athens to face Georgia on November 15th.
