Arch Manning can make all the flashy throws he wants, but apparently, protecting a lead when it matters most is still a problem. Texas walked into halftime against Oklahoma on October 10 with a comfortable 17-7 advantage, only for Manning to throw two fourth-quarter interceptions as the Longhorns collapsed in a 27-24 loss. One of those mistakes handed Oklahoma a touchdown, while the other came at the worst possible moment. And for a quarterback carrying enormous expectations, these are exactly the mistakes Texas cannot afford. Now, Steve Sarkisian has another problem to fix before the Longhorns face an even tougher schedule.
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“Arch Intel: The Texas Staff is continuing to work with Arch Manning to get his great performances in practices to carry over to the games,” Orangebloods.com posted on X on October 13.
And apparently, making impressive throws in practice means little if Manning cannot deliver when it counts. His biggest problem isn’t arm strength. It’s processing pressure quickly and completing short, routine passes without making life harder for Texas. Through five games, Manning has thrown for 1,122 yards and 10 touchdowns, but his five interceptions are already dangerously close to the seven he threw all of last season.
One area the Texas staff is reportedly focusing on is helping Manning recognize defensive looks faster and release the football sooner.
“Arch is like a boxer who has a great hook, great overhand right, and a strong uppercut. But he struggles to throw the jab, which is those short passes … The thing about Quinn [Ewers], he was able to throw the jab and get rid of the football. That’s what they’re working on with Arch,” a source told former NFL reporter Anwar Richardson.
In simple terms, Manning has the arm talent to make difficult throws, but the offense also needs him to execute routine completions under pressure. Those plays can be just as valuable as explosive gains, particularly when Texas needs to sustain possession.
His decision-making became a bigger talking point against Oklahoma. Manning’s first interception was returned 42 yards for a touchdown, putting the Sooners in front. His second came in the final seconds, leaving Texas with no time to recover before Oklahoma kicked the winning field goal.
“That’s a bad mistake,” Manning said. “I gotta put it more outside for [WR Cam Coleman], or get an incompletion to stop the clock and get another down. That’s obviously, you can’t do that in that situation.”
The problems against Oklahoma were not limited to Manning. Texas struggled to keep drives alive, converting just three of 14 third-down attempts and punting eight times. The Longhorns also managed only 122 rushing yards, while eight penalties and a blocked punt made the afternoon even harder.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian defended his quarterback on Monday, pointing out that a team’s performance depends on more than one player. He also said the expectations surrounding Manning are high, partly because of his last name.
“I think if you took the name off the back of his 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,” Sarkisian said. “But the expectations are high for him. He understands that. The expectations are high for all of us. We’ve got to put our nose back to the grind and get back to work.”
Texas cannot spend too long looking back at the Oklahoma loss. The Longhorns host a Florida team that’s coming off back-to-back losses, then face four straight ranked opponents: Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri and LSU. Another stretch of inconsistent offensive performances could push Texas toward the playoff bubble.
The upcoming games will also test whether the coaching staff’s work with Manning is producing results. Improving his execution is one part of the challenge, but Texas must also address its third-down struggles, rushing production and costly mistakes.
Arch Manning’s glaring weakness has given Texas HC Steve Sarkisian & Co. extra work to do, but the challenge goes beyond fixing two interceptions. With tougher opponents approaching, the Longhorns need their offense to deliver when the pressure is highest.