Arch Manning flashed his running ability in the 27-10 win over UTEP. The Heisman hopeful found the end zone twice on the ground: a 2-yard keeper early and a 5-yard dash just before halftime. But the problems in passing have piled up. He missed 10 straight throws and tossed an end-zone pick. Boos rained down from the Austin crowd. But as Manning struggles under center, glaring red flags are emerging for the Texas Longhorns.

On September 14, CFB insider CJ Vogel found a devastating statistic, writing, “How bad is the Texas running game?”  After digging into the numbers, Vogel paints a grim picture. Evidently, the last rush by a Texas RB to reach 20 yards came from Jerrick Gibson, who sprinted 21 yards against Clemson in the fourth quarter of the 2024 CFP Round One. Since then, Texas backs have recorded 142 rush attempts without a single 20-yard gain. Interestingly, even shorter bursts have been scarce.

In those 142 carries, only one run exceeded 15 yards: an 18-yard scamper by CJ Baxter against San Jose State. That’s a stark statistic for a program that prides itself on explosive playmaking. Overall, those attempts averaged just 3.75 yards per carry. But now, in 2025, the situation hasn’t improved much, with running backs averaging only 4.29 yards per rush. Despite the struggles, there’s some glimmer of hope.

James Simon showed flashes with solid runs, while Quintrevion Wisner continues to show promise in the backfield rotation. But until there is production on the field, the Longhorns’ rushing attack remains a glaring weakness. Coach Steve Sarkisian may have to scour the transfer portal for a true home-run back. Interestingly, the longest runs of the game weren’t from the RBs at all: both 14-yard sprints came from QBs, Arch Manning and Matthew Caldwell.

Texas QB’s ongoing struggles

Although the Longhorns debuted at No. 1, they stumbled in their season opener against OSU. And Manning has struggled to meet the lofty expectations put upon him ever since. Through three quarters against UTEP, he was 9-of-22 for just 97 yards, with sidearm throws and overthrown receivers. He did connect on a short TD pass to Ryan Wingo in the fourth, but the errors piled up.

“I felt like he pressed some. He knew he missed some throws,” said Sarkisian on Manning’s issues. “I feel like we’ve done enough with him to have a pretty good understanding of who he is as a player and what he’s capable of. I know there’s a lot of football in him that’s high-level football.” Moreover, Manning himself admitted frustration, saying, “All my life I’ve been an accurate passer. I’ve just got to get back to it.” But while the offense struggled, Texas’ defense held strong.

The Longhorns limited UTEP to 259 total yards. They have allowed just four TDs through three games. Safety Michael Taaffe emphasized the importance of responding to the fans: “The fans are the ones who make it go.” With the the defense holding firm, Manning’s performance will need to catch up if Texas wants to win the national championship this year.