"Penalties killing us man" "Brutal ending": Texas fans relieved after last minute win against Vanderbilt

Texas fans can breathe easy after a nail-biting 27-24 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday. No. 5 Texas (7-1, 3-1) showed grit in their Southeastern Conference road debut, bouncing back from last week’s tough loss to Georgia.

The game got close late as Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia led a spirited comeback with two touchdown passes in the second half. His final TD, an 8-yard strike to Eli Stowers with only 46 seconds left, cut Texas’s lead to just three. But the Longhorns safely secured Vanderbilt’s onside kick attempt, sealing the victory.

It was a rocky start for Texas, with early setbacks that included a holding penalty on the opening kickoff and a tipped pass by Quinn Ewers intercepted by Vanderbilt’s Martel Hight. The Longhorns ultimately pushed through, despite some self-inflicted challenges—10 penalties totaling 108 yards and four sacks allowed. They still outgained Vanderbilt in total yards, 392 to 269.

Texas fans voiced their relief and frustration after the close win:

“Penalties killing us man.”

“Brutal ending,” another wrote.

“That was embarrassing. This is NOT a National Championship worthy team. Everything needs to be fixed,” one fan wrote.

Some fans were more blunt:

“Way too close for comfort,” one wrote.

“Clean up those damn penalties,” a fan wrote.

“Inconsistency and penalties is going to take you out of contention. Over 100yds lost in penalties?! Come on guys. Do better. We scraped that,” another fan wrote.

Texas may have won but Vanderbilt didn’t make it easy. The Commodores, who had only a few turnovers all season, made three in this game—two interceptions from Pavia and a fumble by Sedrick Alexander.

Still, Pavia kept his team in it, leading a late touchdown drive that made it a one-possession game with under two minutes left. Despite the loss, he gave the Commodores a chance.

Vanderbilt exposing Texas' weaknesses

Quinn Ewers threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns, leading No. 5 Texas to a tight win. Despite the victory, the Longhorns’ offensive line remains a concern. After allowing 11 sacks over the last two games, seven against Georgia and four to Vanderbilt, they’re struggling to protect Ewers.

Vanderbilt, not known for its defensive front, still managed nine tackles for a loss, exposing weaknesses Texas can’t ignore.

If the Longhorns aim to contend this season, they’ll need to improve up front. Ewers can't keep facing this level of pressure, and the run game must improve on the 3.1 yards per carry it managed against Vanderbilt.

Texas has chance to regroup and address the issues on the offensive in the bye week. Texas will host Florida on Nov. 9, while Vanderbilt heads to Auburn.