Texas loses 27-24 to Florida in season-damaging collapse

AUSTIN – Texas fell to Florida 27-24 Saturday at Royal-Memorial Stadium, repeating the identical score and pattern of the previous week’s loss to Oklahoma and dropping the No. 7 Longhorns to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in SEC play.

The result extended a streak in which Texas blew double-digit leads in consecutive defeats, drew boos from portions of the 103,989 fans present, and ended a 22-game home winning streak over unranked opponents.

Florida, playing without starting quarterback Aaron Philo and its leading wide receiver, won despite a 0-7 first-half scoring drought, then dominated the second half. Arch Manning threw for 173 yards and one touchdown, completing 14 of 20 passes. Backup Tramell Jones Jr. passed for 155 yards and two touchdowns while adding 41 rushing yards for the Gators, who improved to 5-2 and 3-2.

Texas entered the day with one of the five largest payrolls in college football after a 4-0 start and a comeback victory over then-No. 1 Ohio State. It is now the third team in Associated Press poll history to be ranked No. 1 and lose two straight games to unranked opponents.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian said he would evaluate “everything,” including play-calling, after the Longhorns held the ball for 21:42 compared with Florida’s 38:10 and gained 272 total net yards to the Gators’ 313.

Colin Simmons left in the third quarter with a leg injury and did not return, adding to the roster problems facing a program that has lost consecutive games for the first time in five years. The loss leaves Texas in position to miss the College Football Playoff for a second straight season.

Florida scored for the fourth time in five possessions, taking a 20-17 lead with 10:40 remaining on Patrick Durkin’s 28-yard field goal before Jadan Baugh ran 11 yards for a touchdown.

Manning completed 14 of 20 throws, including a 9-yard scoring pass to Cam Coleman with 4:21 left, but threw into coverage before losing the fumble that sealed the game, Sarkisian said. He also leads the SEC with three fourth-quarter turnovers.

When asked whether Manning could be benched, Sarkisian said, “Everything means everything.” He has never committed to keeping Manning at quarterback this season despite a senior who has completed 62 percent of his passes this year and led the country in fourth-quarter turnovers.

Texas hosts Ole Miss next Saturday. Florida’s 110th-ranked defense held Texas to 24 points in the second half while forcing the Longhorns to run only 50 plays, the fewest in Sarkisian’s tenure, and 8 yards on six plays in the third quarter.