Texas walked out of Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma with the same problem that has shadowed the Longhorns all season: Arch Manning keeps flashing the talent that makes people believe, then slipping into stretches that leave the offense stranded.
The latest swing came in the fourth quarter, when Manning’s two interceptions changed everything. One was returned for a pick-six that flipped the game in Oklahoma’s favor.
The other helped set up the Sooners’ walk-off field goal. Those are the kinds of mistakes that stick, and for Texas, they came at the worst possible moment.
That’s how the Longhorns landed at 4-1 with a demanding run of games still ahead and more questions than answers around their quarterback and the offense he leads.
Manning has shown plenty of the tools Texas wants from him. He can move, he can throw it deep and he has the kind of arm that can punish a defense when opportunities open up.
Against Oklahoma, he hit a couple of explosive passes. And earlier, in the fourth quarter against Ohio State, he played what may have been his best 10 minutes of football.
The issue is what happens outside those bursts. Texas has yet to get 60 clean minutes out of him, and the offense has been carrying cracks since week one. Those issues aren’t hiding anymore.
Manning entered this season expected to take another step in his development and maturity as a second-year starter. Texas also surrounded him with elite talent, leaving little doubt about the level of support around him. Still, the production has come in uneven waves.
There’s no escaping the attention that comes with playing quarterback at Texas, and the name on Manning’s jersey only sharpens it. Not long ago, Longhorn fans were pushing for Quinn Ewers to be benched in favor of Manning.
“I think if you took the name off the back of (Manning’s) jersey and you said, ‘Here’s Joe Smith playing quarterback at the University of Texas, and here’s a guy who’s beaten four top-10-ranked teams in his last 13 starts,’ we’d be praising the guy,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “But the expectations are high for him. But he understands that the expectations are high for all of us, so we got to put our nose back to the grind and get back to work.”
But the tape keeps telling the same story. Manning has taken sacks he didn’t need to take, missed throws he should make and given the ball away in moments that matter most. His tendency to stall in the pocket and hold the ball too long has led to panic throws when pressure closes in, and he still needs to sharpen how he reads the field.
Through five games, Manning has 1,122 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. His 63% completion rate ranks 48th nationally.
Texas’ problems, though, don’t fall on him alone. Sarkisian’s play calling hasn’t matched Manning’s strengths, and the adjustments haven’t been there. The offensive line has also needed better protection, and the run game has not been efficient enough.
Even so, Manning has been at the center of too many uneven outings to ignore. The coaches design it, the players have to execute it, and right now Texas needs its quarterback to clean it up fast. He has to trust himself, move on quickly and stop living in the space between promise and performance.
“It’s not fun when (adversity is) happening, but there’s only one way you can respond,” Manning said. “You can let it linger and let it affect the next week, or you can bounce back. So we got one choice.”
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Sarkisian also owned the responsibility for the offenses struggles, a notable admission from a coach who knows the standard in Austin does not leave much room for uneven Saturdays. The Longhorns have shown enough ability to suggest the ceiling is still there, but the next stretch will be about turning that talent into steadier production. For Texas, the frustration is not just the loss itself, but the feeling that the offense still has to prove it can hold up when the stage gets biggest. [Read more 🡒]