The pressure was mounting on Arch Manning after Texas suffered back-to-back losses, but the quarterback finally gave the Longhorns a reason to celebrate against Ole Miss. He completed 60% of his passes for 212 yards and recorded his first rushing touchdown of the season.

It was a much-needed response under Steve Sarkisian’s watch. Yet the win hasn’t silenced every critic, with ESPN’s Joey Galloway still questioning whether Manning has truly turned the corner.

While speaking with Kirk Herbstreit on his YouTube channel, Joey Galloway argued that there is little difference between Arch Manning’s performances before and after the Ole Miss clash. According to Galloway, the only real change is that Steve Sarkisian has found a way to win despite Manning’s costly mistakes.

“So, the difference between this Arch and the Arch we had before is they found a way to win the game. So, everybody feels better about it, but it doesn’t change the conversation inside the room because I still have to trust you. Not—not your stats, right?” said Galloway.

“When I watch it, I still have to trust that you cannot throw that interception to the safety. So, the conversation about whether KJ Lacy gets reps or not doesn’t change.”

His comments come after Arch Manning’s struggles with inaccurate throws continued against Ole Miss. The Longhorns enjoyed a tremendous first half, putting up 24 points, but their momentum began to fade after the break as Manning’s mistakes became increasingly glaring.

Texas nearly let the game slip away as Arch Manning’s costly mistakes gave Ole Miss a golden opportunity to fight back. Just seconds into the third quarter, Manning was strip-sacked, allowing the Rebels to recover the ball and return it for a defensive touchdown, cutting Texas’ lead to 24–10.

The Longhorns struggled to gain ground for the remainder of the third quarter as Ole Miss mounted a furious comeback, scoring 14 unanswered points to claw its way back into the contest. Manning’s nightmare continued in the second half, with the quarterback throwing an interception and losing a fumble.

As the fourth quarter got underway, Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss brought Ole Miss all the way back, tying the score at 24-24 and sending Texas into panic mode.

Just when the Longhorns needed their quarterback to deliver, Manning threw his second interception of the night on a first-down pass at the Texas 43-yard line, threatening to hand the Rebels complete control.

But with the pressure mounting and the game hanging in the balance, Manning found a way to respond, redeeming himself with a rushing touchdown.

Well, the recovery was certainly impressive, but Manning’s mistakes nearly cost Texas the game. Galloway highlighted this, pointing out that Manning had made similar mistakes in previous weeks, but this time, he was saved by the team’s ability to secure the win.

“Everybody just feels better because we won as opposed to losing. And that has nothing to do with the stats of it, ’cause I don’t know his stats. I know there’s three turnovers. I seen them. I don’t know what the numbers were. I seen the great throws. I’ve seen the bad throws, right? That hadn’t changed from week to week,” Galloway added.

While it is too soon to judge Manning, Galloway has a point. Against Oklahoma, Manning’s two costly fourth-quarter interceptions helped the Sooners secure a 27–24 victory. The same mistakes resurfaced against Florida on October 17, when a late strip-sack forced a fumble, ending Texas’ comeback hopes in another 27–24 defeat.

So far, Manning has been sacked 19 times through seven games and has thrown seven interceptions. While those numbers may not seem particularly alarming on their own, comparing them with last season paints a concerning picture. Through the first seven games last season, Manning was sacked 13 times and threw just five interceptions.

Arch Manning certainly proved himself against Ole Miss, but his problems have not disappeared. How the Longhorns address them remains a question, but Galloway believes things need to improve.