Expect the fur to fly when No. 20 Texas returns home from a month-long road trip to host surging No. 9 Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon in Austin in a game with both Southeastern Conference and College Football Playoff implications.
The big question will be the health of Texas quarterback Arch Manning, who was concussed on the first snap of overtime in the Longhorns’ 45-38 come-from-behind win on the road against Mississippi State last Saturday.
Manning still was in the injury tent when backup Matthew Caldwell hit Emmett Mosley V for the game-winning TD pass and while Texas defense squashed Mississippi State’s attempt to tie the game in its possession in the extra period.
“He did not (practice),” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said of Manning on Monday. “He’s in (concussion) protocol right now. We’ll have more information as the week goes.”
It took Manning’s best collegiate game and a clutch punt return by Ryan Niblett, who went 79 yards on his return to bring the Longhorns to even after they trailed by 17 points with less than 10 minutes to play. Manning had a career-high 346 yards, three passing TDs and another score on the ground.
If Manning can’t go, Caldwell will be under center. The Alabama native played for a season at Jacksonville State, two at Gardner-Webb and last year at Troy before transferring to Texas.
“It didn’t seem too big for him here,” Sarkisian said about Caldwell. “He didn’t feel entitled by any means. He’s played well every time that we’ve put him in the game. He’s a very even-keeled guy. The players have a lot of confidence in him. He’s very engaged even when he doesn’t play.”
Regardless of who is at quarterback, Texas will have to play much better than it has to beat the Commodores. Even though the Longhorns (6-2, 3-1 SEC) have won three straight games, they haven’t played to their potential in beating Kentucky and Mississippi State.
“We aren’t quite in unison the way we need to be,” Sarkisian said.
Vanderbilt heads to Austin to play for just the second time in series history and first time since 1903. The Commodores (7-1, 3-1) have won two straight at home against opponents ranked in the top 15, most recently a 17-10 decision over No. 15 Missouri last Saturday in which quarterback Diego Pavia scored on a 1-yard plunge with 1:52 to play.
Pavia’s scoring run allowed Vanderbilt to get the best of the defensive struggle. He amassed just 129 yards passing and rushed for 20 yards on eight carries, both season lows for the potential Heisman Trophy candidate.
Vanderbilt is 7-1 for the first time since 1941, and its seven wins before November match a school record set in 1915.
“This is a tough team that has the courage to be resilient and to step into the type of performance we need to win, whatever that performance looks like,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said. “And the mission is winning. This team has found a way to win. When you step on the field with the attitude, the mindset, and you stay in the present good things happen.”
Vanderbilt leads the all-time series 8-4-1, but Texas won 27-24 last season in Nashville in the teams’ first meeting since 1928.
