Florida’s 2026 season got off to a strong start, with the Gators moving to 4-0 after upsetting then-No. 4 Ole Miss in Week 4. Florida then dropped their next two games.
Despite entering this Saturday’s game at Texas on a two-game skid and as an underdog, a late game sack-fumble by Arch Manning sealed a 30-27 upset victory for Florida. Texas has struggled against Florida in recent history, losing to the Gators 29-21 in October 2025. That Florida team went on to finish 4-8.
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The past eight days have been particularly painful for the Longhorns, who suffered a crushing loss to Oklahoma last week that cost them the No. 1 ranking. Following back-to-back losses to struggling SEC opponents, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said everything was under consideration as he looked to get the team back on track.
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Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian looks on before the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Sept. 26, 2026. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
“Everything’s going to be evaluated,” Sarkisian said. He also did not rule out a potential change at quarterback.
“Everything means everything,” Sarkisian said. “It would be easy for me to say, ‘Hey, Arch was the problem today.’ Was Arch perfect? No. But nobody was perfect on offense today.”
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) throws a pass in the second half against the Florida Gators at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Oct. 17, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
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Sarkisian added that the opening quarter was the Longhorns’ lone bright spot.
“Obviously, I’m extremely disappointed,” he said. “We didn’t play very good football today, outside about the first quarter. We kind of bled out.”
Texas finished Saturday’s game with only 50 offensive snaps, the lowest total in Sarkisian’s tenure. Florida sacked Manning five times. Manning’s day ended with 173 passing yards and one touchdown pass.
Texas entered the day having defeated 22 consecutive unranked opponents at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium. The Longhorns now hold the dubious distinction of being just the third team since 1936 to reach No. 1 in the AP poll before losing consecutive games to unranked opponents, according to ESPN Research.
London Montgomery of the Florida Gators runs the ball against Justin Cryer in the second half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Oct. 17, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Image)
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Sarkisian offered a blunt assessment of how Texas has performed recently. “We’re not playing very good football right now,” he said. “I have to evaluate everything. It’s gonna be a long night.”
Sarkisian also calls Texas’ offensive plays, meaning his own role will likely be part of the evaluation process. “I don’t know how many times I need to say it,” Sarkisian said. “We’re going to evaluate everything from an offensive perspective. Part of that is playcalling.”
Texas will host Ole Miss in Austin next Saturday.
