For three weeks, Arch Manning seemed to be carrying the weight of his last name more than the promise of his talent. Then came Sam Houston, and with it, the Arch Manning performance Longhorn Nation had been begging for. He went 18-for-21 for 309 yards and three touchdowns through the air, adding two with his legs before being pulled in the third quarter as Texas cruised. But part of this performance was dedicated to Arch’s father.

Cooper Manning had been living the Texas football upheaval right alongside his son. Eventually, though, he made a choice. “I watch nothing. I read nothing, which is liberating. And I go to the games, and you know, could just be a regular dad,” Cooper explained. His decision to step back, to block out the noise and let Arch “learn, get better, and just kind of grow up,” might have become the wager that changed everything.

He made an action during the Sam Houston game that ignited the stadium, but got under his mom, Ellen Heidingsfelder’s, skin instantly. “I felt good to get back in the end zone,” Arch later admitted during the post-game presser. “Probably a little much there. My mom was pretty mad about that. A little immature, but I think I have some built-up frustration in the past few weeks.” After Texas blew past Sam Houston early, Manning found himself in the end zone for another rushing touchdown. This time, he had the kind of attitude Longhorn fans hadn’t seen from him all year.

On that play, Sam Houston linebacker Antavious Fish dove and missed a tackle, ending up on the turf. Instead of heading straight back to the huddle, Arch stood over Fish, watched him get up, and got right in his face. The move was all about chest-thumping bravado and raw emotion. The crowd loved it; a roar echoed through the stadium, but back home, Ellen was anything but pleased. Following that bold touchdown flex over the Sam Houston linebacker, opinions split far and wide. And guess what, Ari Wasserman from On3 came out strongly in Arch’s corner.

Wasserman understood the context behind the swagger. “Manning has been through a lot this past few weeks,” Wasserman said. “And you can imagine he has a lot of bottled emotion to let out. Also, he is trying to find his swagger.” And really, Arch hasn’t had it easy these past three weeks. Texas fans and analysts alike have been vocal, especially after that shaky UTEP game, where things got downright ugly at times. Manning completed just 11 of 25 passes for 114 yards with one touchdown and an interception. It also included the brutal stretch of 10 straight incompletions that left fans frustrated and the stadium booing him midgame.

The boos were a harsh reminder of the sky-high expectations piled on from day one. Even after the win, Arch himself admitted, “I’ve got to play better.” And he sure did, even though Ellen would disagree with the taste of her son’s celebrations.

Arch Manning learns to identify his weapons

After a shaky start to the season, Texas finally found its rhythm in the Sam Houston game. The best part of it? The connection between Arch Manning and his top wideout, Ryan Wingo. For weeks, one of the most glaring issues for the Longhorns was the inconsistent connection in the passing game. Wingo, expected to be Arch’s go-to guy, had managed just nine catches for 97 yards and a single touchdown through the first three games.

But against Sam Houston, the chemistry bloomed efficiently. Arch looked laser-focused, going 18 of 21 for 309 yards and five total touchdowns, while Wingo had his best game of the season with four receptions for 93 yards and two touchdowns. The equation really left its mark. Manning threw a bomb to Ryan Wingo for 53 yards right over Wingo’s shoulder for a touchdown. He even zipped a perfectly placed ball to tight end Jordan Washington, and went on with nine consecutive scoring drives.

He also added a quick 13-yard red zone completion for another score, and that duo was suddenly one of the most potent connections in college football. Coach Steve Sarkisian pointed it out clearly during the postgame talks, praising the “efficiency” and rhythm of the offense. And the communication between Manning and Wingo was a big deal for Texas’s offensive future. “We had some explosive plays,” Sarkisian said. “We found the connection there with Arch and Ryan, which obviously is big for us.” But can this chemistry repeat itself further down the season?