Texas walks into SEC play with a spotless record, a No. 1 ranking and a familiar question hanging over it: can the Longhorns hold their level for four quarters?
That answer starts to matter fast, because Saturday’s opener sends Texas into Knoxville to face No. 14 Tennessee in a sold-out Neyland Stadium.
For Arch Manning, it also means a first trip to the place where his uncle Peyton Manning became a Volunteers legend. Arch has never been to Knoxville before, and now he’ll make that debut as the starting quarterback for the top team in the country.
Texas has already stacked three wins - 59-7 over Texas State, the statement upset of then-No. 1 Ohio State, and a 30-6 win over UTSA - but the performances haven’t looked the same from week to week. The Longhorns needed a huge fourth-quarter push to beat Ohio State, then managed only 10 points after halftime against UTSA.
“The week before we scored 21 points in the fourth quarter. This week, we come out, we score 17 points in the first three drives,” Sarkisian said.
“So, how do we sustain that for four quarters? How do we do it with a real level of consistency?”
That inconsistency is the part Texas has to clean up before it gets swallowed by one of the SEC’s toughest road environments. The Longhorns learned plenty about the league last season when they dropped their first conference game, 29-21 at Florida. Now they’re back in that spot, only this time the stage is bigger and the noise should be even louder.
Manning said he’s ready for it.
“Definitely excited to play,” Manning said. “Hostile environment, SEC road game. It’s what it’s all about.”
Sarkisian believes the moment will carry extra meaning for the Manning family, but he also expects Arch to stay locked in on the job in front of him.
“I think he cares more about playing really good for his teammates and being connected with his team,” Sarkisian said.
The focus isn’t just on Manning, either. Texas players know the film hasn’t been clean enough yet.
“I definitely don’t feel like we’ve put the whole game together,” linebacker Rasheem Biles said. “It’s like when you go review the film, like you just always see things for improvement. But I think that’s the best thing about us.”
“I think just we have to do a better job of straining, mentally,” offensive lineman Trevor Goosby added. “Just mentally continuing to be in the game and making sure that we’re executing, you know, no matter who’s on the field, whether it’s Ohio State, UTSA, Texas State or Tennessee.”
Texas is still undefeated. Texas is still No.
- But Saturday at 11 a.m. central in Knoxville will tell a lot about whether the Longhorns are ready to look the part from start to finish.
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Colin Simmons status is one of the more important Texas storylines heading into the Tennessee game after the edge rusher left early in the UTSA win with a foot injury and was later spotted in a walking boot. Steve Sarkisian initially sounded optimistic about Simmons outlook, but he has since declined to offer any more detail, pointing instead to the official SEC injury report.
That leaves the Longhorns waiting on Wednesday evening for the first real update before a matchup that will test the defense in a big way. Simmons has been one of the players Texas can least afford to lose, and until the report comes out, there is still no clear answer on whether hell be available against Tennessee. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Mannings Guarded Tone Adds Intrigue Before Texas Biggest Test
Arch Manning has sounded noticeably more guarded in his recent media appearances, a shift that has added a little extra intrigue around Texas as it heads into its SEC opener at Tennessee. After a previous controversial comment, the quarterback has kept his answers brief in the lead-up to the trip to Neyland Stadium, even as the Longhorns prepare for one of the most important road games on their schedule.
For Texas, the timing matters just as much as the tone. Manning is trying to keep his strong season rolling while the Longhorns chase a key win away from home, and the setting only raises the stakes. Neyland Stadium is never an easy place to navigate, and with SEC play beginning, every detail around Texas feels amplified, including the way its quarterback chooses to carry himself. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Manning Faces His Biggest Texas Test Yet At Tennessee
Arch Manning is heading into the kind of game that tends to sharpen the conversation around a quarterback. Texas opens Southeastern Conference play at Tennessee with the Longhorns sitting 3-0, and Manning has already supplied a few early reminders of why his arrival has carried so much attention, including the comeback win over Ohio State. Now the stage gets louder, the stakes get heavier, and the spotlight shifts to Knoxville for a matchup that will tell plenty about where Texas stands as the conference grind begins.
The trip also adds an extra layer of family history, with Manning making his first visit to a place where his uncle Peyton became a college football legend. Tennessee has had its own thoughts about the Longhorns quarterback, with Josh Heupel and players acknowledging Mannings talent, while freshman Faizon Brandon remains part of the Vols longer-term picture as he grows into conference play. For Manning, the backdrop is as notable as the opponent, and the test is bigger because of it. [Read more 🡒]