Oklahoma exposed Texas’ offensive problems, and Florida made them even harder to ignore. Now, after back-to-back losses, the questions are piling up: Should Arch Manning be benched? Does Steve Sarkisian need to rethink his play-calling? With Ole Miss next on the schedule, the Texas head coach has addressed the concerns surrounding his struggling offense.
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Texas faces a must-win clash to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive. Amid mounting pressure over the Arch Manning benching debate, Steve Sarkisian delivered a puzzling response ahead of the showdown.
“It just depends. You know, every game’s different. I think Arch has had a good week of work. He’s prepared himself well, but the team, we need to play well. So we’ll go from there,” said the head coach.
The response notably avoided directly addressing whether Manning would remain the starter, instead emphasizing team performance. It marks the first time Sarkisian has publicly weighed in on the benching debate since the back-to-back losses. This is a fresh take from the head coach, especially considering that just days ago, Anwar Richardson revealed that a source within the program had assured him Manning would start against Ole Miss. The insider added that it would take a really “sh**ty performance” from the fourth-year QB for the coaching staff to consider benching him.
The question now is: How long can Texas afford to overlook the costly mistakes piling up under Arch Manning? Forget the Sooners game, where his two interceptions proved decisive. Against the Florida Gators, a fumble in the final two minutes dealt another devastating blow, potentially costing the Longhorns the game.
Across his last three outings, including the 20-17 road win over Tennessee, Manning has thrown just four touchdown passes while committing four turnovers. That might have been enough to get a quarterback benched. However, there’s a catch: Manning wasn’t entirely to blame, as the play-calling was equally questionable.
In the offseason, the Longhorns added receiver Cam Coleman, running backs Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown, and right tackle Melvin Siani to bolster Arch Manning’s supporting cast. Expectations were high for an explosive season, but the reality has been far from it.
According to TruMedia, the Longhorns rank 103rd nationally in explosive play rate, 64th in scoring offense, 72nd in points per drive, and 104th in yards per play. Play-calling has been a major problem, yet Steve Sarkisian remained hell-bent on sticking to his approach. However, ahead of the Ole Miss clash, the Texas head coach appears to have changed his tune.
“I think every year is different. I don’t know if I haven’t been as creative, but I think the times that I’ve wanted to be creative, it hasn’t worked as well. It’s my job and our job as a staff to put our players in the best position to be successful, and so we leave no stone unturned,” said the head coach when asked about the balance of being creative as a play-caller.
Sarkisian’s response was notably cautious, avoiding a direct admission of play-calling failures while pledging to adjust. It seems the head coach has learned his lesson after back-to-back losses, but the spotlight is once again on Manning. Once projected as the No. 1 overall draft pick, he has yet to live up to those expectations.
While he is far from a bust, his numbers tell a different story: 11 touchdowns, five interceptions, 17 sacks, and a fumble. His average of 215.8 passing yards per game also leaves him outside the top 10.
Adding to the pressure, reports that backup KJ Lacey is getting more first-team practice reps have raised alarm bells for Manning, who knows his starting job could be under threat.
“I told [Sarkisian] I expect myself to play better,” Manning said.
Manning promised to play with more confidence, stop hesitating in the pocket, find his receivers, and simply play fast, free, and enjoy the game.
“I’m gonna die on the hill of letting it rip,” Manning said.
Ole Miss could be Manning’s last chance to redeem himself and for Steve Sarkisian to prove that his play-calling still works. But can the two turn things around when it matters most?