With its small hopes of a College Football Playoff on the line, Texas football secured a needed win Saturday by racing away from Arkansas 52-37 behind a record-setting game from quarterback Arch Manning.
Austin, TX
Texas football: How the No. 17 Longhorns graded in win over Arkansas
The Longhorns (8-3, 5-2) scored their most points ever in a SEC game, and they needed almost all of them against the explosive attack of Arkansas (2-9, 0-7). The Razorbacks tallied 512 yards of offense, the most a Texas team has allowed since Washington had 537 yards in a 37-31 win in their 2023 CFP semifinal.
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Manning threw for a career-high 389 yards to power Texas to the win and set up a Friday showdown against blood rival and unbeaten Texas A&M, the third-ranked team in the nation.
Here’s how the Longhorns graded out in the 52-37 win over Arkansas:
Texas Longhorns defensive back Jelani McDonald (4) yells in celebration after making an interception in the third quarter of the Longhorns’ game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Nov. 22, 2025.
Quarterback: A
Manning offered some self-criticism after the game, but it’s hard to find much fault in his career day. He threw four touchdowns, ran for another and even caught a touchdown pass from wide receiver Parker Livingstone on a trick play to become the first Texas player to ever run, catch and throw for a score in a single game. The lone critique: He went 18 of 30 and missed a couple of throws.
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MORE: Texas vs Arkansas: Longhorns blast Hogs 52-37 to set up SEC finale against Texas A&M
Running back: C-
The combination of Quintrevion Wisner and CJ Baxter continues to carry the load, and it continues to plod along. They combined for 91 yards on 22 carries and didn’t catch a single pass. Baxter runs hard, but it looks like he may need another offseason to regain his explosiveness after undergoing knee surgery in August 2024.
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Receivers: A
This unit continues to spread the wealth. DeAndre Moore Jr. stepped into the starring role with a career-high three touchdowns on three catches, and Ryan Wingo continued to be the most productive receiver on the squad with six catches. Tight end Jack Endries also got into the act with two catches for 49 yards. Best of all, no drops for a group that has shown some butter fingers.
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Texas Longhorns wide receiver Deandre Moore Jr. (0) celebrates in the end zone after a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Arkansas Razorbacks in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025.
Offensive line: A-
The Longhorns started the same quintet of left tackle Travor Goosby, left guard Cole Hutson, center Connor Roberston, right guard DJ Williams and right tackle Brandon Baker for the third straight game. That continuity is paying off, especially in pass protection. Manning didn’t suffer a single sack and only absorbed three hits with arguably his best protection of the season.
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Defensive line: B-
Texas’ defensive line had its hands full, especially early before Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green and running back Mike Washington Jr. left the game with injuries. Edge rushers Colin Simmons (5 tackles, 1 sack, 1½ tackles for loss) and Ethan Burke (6 tackles) had big games, but the interior had trouble with the big Hogs.
Linebackers: C+
All-American middle linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. missed the game with a hand injury, and it showed. Edge backer Trey Moore played much of the game out of position inside and Ty’Anthony Smith was ejected for a targeting call that will cause him to miss the first half of the game against Texas A&M. Liona Leafu’s scoop-and-score touchdown off a strip sack by Simmons was the unit’s only highlight, even if the ball did end up in Bevo’s pen.
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Secondary: D+
Arkansas threw for 324 yards on 26-of-49 passing even though backup QB KJ Jackson played almost half the game. The Longhorns did get an interception from Derek Williams Jr. on an ill-advised shovel pass by Green, but missed tackles and blown coverages remain a concern. One side note: Freshman Kade Phillips seems to have taken over the starting cornerback spot from Jaylon Guilbeau opposite Malik Muhammad.
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Special teams: B
Moore had a strange punt return in which he fielded the ball in the end zone and barely made it to the 5-yard line. Punter Jack Boumeester dropped two of his three kicks inside the Hogs’ 20-yard line, Mason Shipley made a 44-yard field goal just before the half, and Texas avoided the miscues that have plagued them in several games.
Coaching: B+
Steve Sarkisian is cooking as a play-caller and as a quarterbacks coach, considering Manning’s development over the past month. He also shows that his team usually rebounds in tough weeks; Sarkisian’s teams are 10-0 after a loss since 2022. But defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski’s group couldn’t handle the Hogs, even with their backup quarterback.
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AUSTIN, Texas — Austin city leaders gathered on East 11th Street on Juneteenth to celebrate the “Black Artists Matter” mural before it must be removed under an order from the Texas Department of Transportation. The mural and the city’s rainbow crosswalk are slated for removal in compliance with a Texas Department of Transportation directive requiring cities to remove political ideologies from roadways. Last October, Gov. Greg Abbott directed TxDOT to enforce the policy.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson stood on the blocked-off street where the yellow letters spelling “Black Artists Matter” are painted on the roadway’s surface. “We will never forget that when the state decided to target our murals, the community stood together to celebrate our city’s diversity, spirit, and creativity,” Watson said.
Watson criticized the state’s actions, saying, “The state government engages in negative rhetoric and threats, it targets communities that it disagrees with and seeks retribution.”
In response to the order, Watson formed the Public Spaces Task Force to identify other ways to celebrate diversity in Austin.
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KEYE
Daphne McDole, chief executive officer of the African American Cultural Heritage District and a member of the task force, said she wanted the event held on Juneteenth because of its significance. “I wanted to do it on Juneteenth, it was significant to me because I knew that that was the day my community would be in the district. We will be celebrating over here all day, so it was appropriate,” McDole said.
Task force members said they are exploring alternatives to honor East Austin’s history and diversity. They noted that city leaders in San Antonio created rainbow sidewalks after removing rainbow crosswalks, but said Austin will pursue its own approach.
Task force chair Steven Rivas said the community is focused on preserving the meaning behind the markings. “We chose to come together as a community and find a way to respect what these markings mean and build upon them. If we can’t have them in the street, we’re going to put them off the street,” Rivas said.
AUSTIN, Texas — The screwworm outbreak is having a major impact on animal shelter budgets across Texas. Instant kill and preventative medications for dogs and cats are an unprecedented expense.
Paul is a rescue dog from South Texas, where he was living on the streets and starving. He is now at Austin Pets Alive! getting Screwworm prevention medication and the treatment he needs to get healthy.
“Any dog that enters our shelter period, but especially if they look like this, we are going over them with a fine-tooth comb and looking for anything that might be a wound where a screwworm might have been able to gain access,” said Dr. Ellen Jefferson, CEO and President of Austin Pets Alive!
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Dr. Jefferson says dogs and cats need regular checks of their eyes, noses, ears, and underneath their fur. But Austin Pets Alive! says the best protection is a combination of Capstar, which is an instant-kill medication for existing active screwworm larvae, and prescription preventatives that provide ongoing protection when administered every 30 days.
“Just to buy the initial Capstar for our program, it was close to $10,000,” said Rebecca Giamona, Asst. Medical Care Director at Austin Pets Alive!
Giamona says preventative meds are also putting a heavy financial strain on the nonprofit’s budget at a cost of around $70,000.
“We need about 5,000 doses of the monthly preventative, and they are roughly $14 to $15 per dose,” said Giamona.
Products with the active ingredients ending in l, a, n, e, r are highly effective at preventing and treating infestations. But keeping Paul and every shelter animal up to date will take help from the public.
“Donations, and hopefully some more donations,” said Giamona.
An infestation of New World Screwworm can be painful, disfiguring, and potentially deadly for animals. Most cases involve livestock, especially cattle, but dogs and cats can also get infestations.
AUSTIN, Texas – Central Texans gather to celebrate Juneteenth or “Freedom Day” on June 19 and commemorate the end of slavery.
What you can do:
The Greater East Austin Youth Association (GEAYA) is hosting the Central Texas Juneteenth Parade and Festival today (6/19).
It’s free and taking place at Rosewood Park in East Austin located at 2300 Rosewood Ave.
The schedule for the events is as follows:
- ACME Juneteenth FunRun – 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
- Juneteenth Historical Parade – 10 AM – 12 PM
- Park Celebration and Fireworks – 12 PM – 9:45 PM
Other events
On June 20, the Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition will be taking place 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural, and Genealogy Center located at 1165 Angelina Street.
It will be a day of celebration and remembrance and there will be BBQ plates and music as well as vendors and hands-on activations.
The backstory:
Juneteenth commemorates the end of formal slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, and more than one month following the end of the American Civil War.
Colloquially known as “The Black 4th of July,” Juneteenth marks the beginning of an African American journey to carve a new place in society for free people to shape identities independent of racial caricature, eradicate slave culture, promote ethnic pride, and create economic prosperity.
The Source: Information from City of Austin and Greater East Austin Youth Association and reporting by Jessica Rivera.
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