Texas pulled off a wild 45-38 overtime victory against Mississippi State, a game that will be remembered as much for its drama as for the heartbreak that came with it. The Longhorns rallied back from the brink, but amid the euphoria of the comeback, a cloud of concern loomed large over the team, Arch Manning’s health.

Arch Manning went down with an injury on the very first play against Mississippi State. He scrambled 13 yards for a first down and took a really big hit, leaving him on the ground for a bit before he had to be helped off the field and taken into the medical tent. The hit, coming from Bulldogs defender Isaac Smith, somewhat knocked him a bit “woo-zy”. According to College Football Report, it’s probably a concussion.

Obviously, the game waits for no one. The QB2 Matthew Caldwell stepped in for Manning, and Caldwell threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Emmett Mosley to put the Longhorns ahead in overtime and seal the deal for the Texas Longhorns. Mississippi State had a chance to answer, but their final drive ended with a sack, sealing the deal for Texas.

While it was a huge blow to see Manning get hurt after such a heroic effort, the Longhorns brought themselves another week from getting kicked out of the SEC and playoff contention. The Longhorns were getting crushed for most of the game, trailing by as much as 17 points, but they turned it around in the fourth quarter. All thanks to Arch Manning and his two fourth-quarter touchdowns. One to Emmett Mosley for 21 yards, and another one to Livingston.

The Longhorns scored 24 straight points to tie it up, and yes, need to give flowers to Ryan Niblett’s 57-yard clutch punt return touchdown with just 2 minutes left in the game. Before the injury, Manning was having a monster game; he redeemed himself by throwing for a career-high 346 yards and 3 touchdowns, plus an earlier rushing TD.

As of now, the official word on his injury is still unknown.

Not very good news for the Longhorns, as per Dr. James Robson

The school gave an update that Arch Manning suffered a concussion and will enter the NCAA’s concussion protocol. This means that he’ll be carefully evaluated by medical staff and probably won’t return to the field until he gets the green light. It’s a precaution meant to protect his long-term health, even if it means sitting out for a while.

Dr. James Robson, a neurologist from Texas who isn’t treating Manning, explained that recovery time after a concussion can be very different for each person: “Even mild concussions can have unpredictable recovery times, most athletes are symptom-free within a week or two, but others experience lingering effects, headaches, sensitivity to light, and fatigue, that can last longer. The key is proper rest and avoiding a premature return.” Steve Sarkisian is in a very weird position because rushing Arch Manning back too early can make symptoms worse or delay healing.

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Justin Wells from Inside Texas said that Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian hasn’t given a timeline for Manning’s return. “Sources tell Inside Texas that Manning suffered a concussion and will be evaluated further,” Justin Wells reported. “He’s expected to enter concussion protocol. Steve Sarkisian was non-committal on his status in the postgame press conference.” For now, the backup Matthew Caldwell will take the first-team practice reps while Manning remains in the concussion protocol for as long as necessary.