Texas lost at home to unranked Florida, making it two straight defeats by the same margin, the first against Oklahoma and now the Gators. The Longhorns have slid from the top of the rankings into a fight to keep their playoff hopes alive. Arch Manning spoke to reporters afterward, and what he said pointed to what the second loss really means.
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Head coach Steve Sarkisian had already said the offense was not playing good football and that everything would be evaluated. That comment led to the talk about the quarterback’s job after two losses in a row, the first time that happened since 2021. Manning knew he had to answer for his own play in front of the media.
“I told (Sarkisian), I expect myself to play better. I haven’t put good film on tape for the last five weeks, and I’m going to be better. I’m going to be better for my teammates. I’m going to be better for myself, and I’m going to be better for my coaches.” Manning made the admission during Texas’s October 19 weekly press conference. “It’s hard not to have a chip on my shoulder right now. I’ll tell you that. I think I play better with it. I feel like I’ve been a little too hesitant, to be quite honest.”
Through six games, Manning completed 106 of 166 passes for 1,295 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions, good for a passer rating around 145. Those totals are decent for many quarterbacks, yet they sit well below the standard for a preseason Heisman favorite who was supposed to lead a title contender.
Manning’s own words line up with what the film has shown. Manning has held the ball longer than most quarterbacks, which gives defenses extra time to close in.
“I’ve gotta do a better job of handling the pressures in the games,” he added. “Other teams are going to keep doing them. So I’ll be better at that moving forward.”
He has been sacked 17 times, and his average time to throw sits near 3.15 seconds. Longer holds raise the odds of negative plays even when the protection holds up for a few seconds.
The Oklahoma game on October 10 showed both sides of that problem. Texas lost 24-27 in the Red River Rivalry after Manning went 19 of 31 for 260 yards and three touchdowns. He created big plays early, but two interceptions in the fourth quarter, one a pick-six, flipped the result.
The Florida loss on October 17 made the situation more concerning. Manning finished 14 of 20 for 173 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions, yet he absorbed five sacks. A late sack produced a fumble that Florida recovered and basically ended any comeback chance. The defeat was a team issue, though Manning’s turnover became the focal point afterward.
“We’re not playing good offensive football right now, so everything is going to be evaluated,” Sarkisian said after the Florida game.
When asked if that included the quarterback, he answered, “Everything means everything.” He also noted that nobody was perfect on offense and that protection issues existed too.
“I think there’s no doubt about it, Arch can play better for us. He’s our starter. I need to see a better version of Arch Manning. Like I need to see a better version of a lot of guys on our offensive football team right now,” he added on Monday.
Talk of a possible change has grown because of those comments. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on October 19 that backup KJ Lacey was set to get more first-team practice reps.
“Yes, it is time. … What’s the point of continuing this agony? Go ahead and try somebody else. If you’re going to give KJ the reps in practice, let him start the game,” Paul Finebaum said on First Take.
Lacey is a redshirt freshman and former high four-star recruit who has seen almost no meaningful action.
Texas sits at 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the SEC after dropping from No. 1 to No. 19. The Longhorns host No. 7 Ole Miss on October 24. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss can be the real threat for the Longhorns. He has thrown for about 1,676 yards and 14 touchdowns in six games.