Arch Manning found himself on the ground quite a bit during the game. In his first full season as a starter, he threw for 263 yards, along with two touchdowns and two interceptions, in a 29-21 defeat against Florida on Saturday. He faced intense pressure, getting sacked six times.
Manning’s struggles mirrored those of other inexperienced quarterbacks who’ve faced tough situations. Still, he kept Texas (3-2, 0-1 in the Southeastern Conference) close with some impressive plays at times.
In a tense moment, he almost led the Longhorns to tie the game, particularly when a defensive penalty gave Texas a chance in Florida’s territory. Unfortunately, he was pressured again and ended up throwing an incomplete pass, sealing their fate.
It seemed fitting, given that Manning was frequently hit and even dealt with a shoulder injury during the game, briefly checking out on the sidelines.
“He’s taken some hits,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian noted. “I thought Arch really competed well. He gave it his all. I’m sure there’s going to be plays he wants to look back on in the film room.”
“Overall, I thought he showed great effort and competitive spirit,” he added.
Manning connected on 16 out of 29 passes, including a notable 43-yard throw to DeAndre Moore Jr. He did miss some other deep throws but scrimmaged for 74 yards, leading the team in rushing.
“Today, you saw his talent,” Florida’s coach Billy Napier commented. “He has that elite skill level and a high football IQ. He reminded me of the player I saw in high school.”
Florida (2-3, 1-1) capitalized on two of Manning’s mistakes in the fourth quarter, with Jordan Castell and Devin Moore both recording interceptions.
“Just when you think you’ve got him, he’s slippery,” Moore remarked. “He can escape and make things happen.”
With two losses now under their belt, Manning has thrown at least one interception in four of his five starts this season.
Next week, he’ll face a tough road against Oklahoma, ranked fifth, followed by games against Kentucky and Mississippi.
Sarkisian pointed out, “This is when you really test the culture of your team. We need to stay tighter than ever with all the noise from this game. We need to keep our focus.”
One clear lesson from the matchup was Texas’ struggles on both lines. They managed just 52 rushing yards, despite Kintrevion Wisner returning for the first time since injury. Wisner ended with only 11 yards and one touchdown on eight carries.
“We have to do better,” Sarkisian stressed. “We can’t rely solely on the pass. If we don’t have a running game, things get tough for the offense. We need to reestablish our run game.”
