Arch Manning is heading into one of the toughest road tests of his Texas career, and Steve Sarkisian believes the sophomore quarterback has done everything possible to get ready for it.
The Longhorns travel to No. 14 Tennessee on Saturday for a top-15 matchup at Neyland Stadium, a place Sarkisian made clear earlier this week brings a different level of noise. Texas has already dropped road games at Ohio State, Florida and Georgia last season, and Sarkisian said Neyland is louder than all of them.
When asked Thursday about Manning’s preparation for that atmosphere, Sarkisian had nothing but praise for the way his quarterback approaches the job.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever been around a quarterback, maybe Matt Ryan, that prepares better than (Manning) does,” Sarkisian said, via OnTexasFootball. “That is really truly dialed into the plan with what we’re trying to do and executing those things.”
The challenge waiting for Manning is a Tennessee defense that looks different this season after losing former DC Tim Banks and bringing in Penn State DC Jim Knowles. The Vols haven’t been tested against the sport’s heavyweights yet, but the early returns have been solid: they rank fourth in the SEC in scoring defense and ninth in the league in yards allowed per game.
What Tennessee has done best is create disruption. The Vols have pressured 71% of dropbacks in which the quarterback holds the ball longer than 2.5 seconds, the best mark in the country through three weeks. Add the crowd to that formula, and Saturday shapes up as a full-blown stress test for Manning.
The question now is whether he can handle it when the ball kicks off at Noon on ABC.
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Neyland Stadium is set to be the center of the college football world, with ESPN helping carry the hype and President Donald Trump expected to attend. Tennessee enters as a 4-point underdog, so the uniform choice serves as a small but telling reminder of the Vols' comfort in their own building as they prepare for a heavyweight test. [Read more 🡒]
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For Tennessee readers watching the wider SEC and ACC picture, the lesson is the same one that tends to show up every fall. Hostile environments, rising pressure and a few early stumbles can change the conversation fast, especially when the schedule starts asking harder questions. NC State has the kind of profile that can look sturdy on paper until a game exposes how quickly those early trouble spots can snowball. [Read more 🡒]