What No. 20 Texas players said following their 34-31 win over No. 9 Vanderbilt on Saturday

No. 20 Texas took a 34-10 lead over Vanderbilt in the third quarter of Saturday’s game. But Vanderbilt came back to make it a one-score game until the Horns closed it out, 34-31. Here’s what the players had to say.

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Arch Manning, QB

“It was a crosswalk that was solid red. I didn’t think there was anyone around, so I went. I guess there was someone around.” – on getting pulled over earlier this week

“Just playing games and experiencing having some bad games, I think our offense is starting to click a little bit. We’ve got to continue to press and finish games but play how we played today.” – on how he’s matured all season

“It’s been a long month; I will tell you that. I think we’ve all grown closer together, and it’s helped us in the long run. We’ve just got to continue to press forward. This month, November, is going to be no joke. We have to continue to get better and stay connected.” – on how the team has bonded together

“I think it starts with the offensive line. They played really well today. Our receivers made plays, which makes it easier on me.” – on how things have changed over the season

“Just continue to trust each other, stay connected. At the end of day, a win’s a win. But you know, these past two weeks haven’t been too pretty towards the end of game, so we have to continue to press forward.” – on struggles to finish in all four quarters

Tre Wisner, RB

“Coach [Sarkisian] preaches staying composed in the arena, owning the arena all the time. It’s pretty easy when you’re at home with the fans in the stadium that you’re used to, to stay composed, stay in your body, and stay in your element.” on how the team stays composed late in the game

“It was a special moment. He ended up going down at the first home game, and then I ended up not being able to play a home game at all. It’s just good to be back in our flow, our groove… being able to see him get his moment of shine because he deserves everything that’s coming his way.” – on moment with CJ Baxter after touchdown score

“He’s a great leader. Just him having that trait alone gives him the ability to persevere through anything. I feel like he’s on the heater right now.” – on Manning’s potential for the rest of the season

“We build ours in summer workouts, winter workouts, fall camps. Our strength and conditioning coach harps on the little details, finishing through the line, touching the line. Things like that build your perseverance through the season. Whenever things get tough, we tap into those.” – on the mental toughness it takes to compete in close games each week

Ethan Burke, EDGE

“It’s nice to make a play when it matters, and I’m still trying to get better. I’m not perfect, but I think we played really well as a defense collectively. And I think it goes back to our week of practice, and we’ve got to figure out how to get a complete game in. I think we will, and if we play how we did earlier in the game, we’re going to be great.” – on staying consistent throughout the game

“I think, not our team alone, but a lot of teams in the SEC every week, half the teams lose. So it’s playoff football before the playoffs, right? Everyone’s fighting for those 12 spots. And you’ve got to keep winning no matter what. We had four on the road, and we found ways to win, and then we came here, first time in 42 days, and got it done. That’s all that matters. So, we’ve just got to keep figuring out how to get it done.” on what’s at stake for the team going forward

“You learn a lot about yourselves, right? I think at Kentucky, we learned a lot and we tried to grow on it. And then at Mississippi State we certainly learned a lot. And today we learned about ourselves again. I think we’ve got to stay a little more focused towards the end. It was stressful, but a win is a win at the end of the day. Whatever happened, happened, but at the end of the game when the clock is at zero, we won.” – on the mental toughness it takes to compete in close games each week

Anthony Hill, LB

“Disrespectful.” – on Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia tossing the ball at Xavier Filsaime