Arch Manning’s first season as Texas’ starting quarterback has been anything but smooth. The highly touted passer has struggled to find rhythm, and his latest showing against UTEP only deepened concerns.
Texas managed a 27-10 win, but Manning’s performance was uneven. He completed just 11 of 25 passes for 114 yards, with one costly interception. At one point in the first half, he missed on 10 straight throws, leaving the offense sputtering.
After repeated misfires and turnovers by halftime, boos rained down from the stands. In an episode of “Nightcap”, Shannon Sharpe took the opportunity to call out fans who have backed Arch Manning all these years.
Sharpe outlined that when Quinn Ewers was the starting QB for the Longhorns, he was being ridiculed for every mistake. Fans would often trash him for his performances while demanding that Manning be picked over him. Now that they’ve got what they wanted, they’re singing a different song.
“The most popular guy on the team is the backup quarterback,” Sharpe said, mocking Texas fans. “Oh man, Quinn Ewers sucked. He’s terrible…Man, put in Arch. There you go.” (0:47)
Manning’s overall performance in the game against UTEP, as bad as it looked, was way better than what he did in the first half. Sharpe outlined his 5 for 16, 69-yard halftime performance to make his point.
So far this season, Manning has failed to live up to the lofty expectations tied to his famous last name. His completion percentage remains low, and turnovers have been a recurring issue. While growing pains are expected, Texas fans were hoping for a smoother transition.
Arch Manning Vows Improvement after UTEP Win
Arch Manning and the Texas offense have been put on blast several times over the last few weeks. The game against UTEP was supposed to be their redemption at home. However, the offense disappointed fans once again.
After the game, Manning spoke to Horns247 and stated that he will have to get better from here and that he wasn’t happy with his performance at all.
“Yeah, I got to play better. It’s not good enough, as y’all can see,” Manning said. “I got to play better for us to. maybe it slides against UTEP, but it’s not going to win games against SEC. I got to play better.”
“I think a lot of quarterbacks and a lot of players are hard on themselves,” Manning added. “They want to be great. And it’s frustrating because I know I’m better than this, and I got to play better.”
The quarterback assured that he will go back to the basics and try to be more accurate while running the offense. For someone who was in the Heisman conversation before the season started, the season has been disappointing so far.
Read More:
Heisman Odds After Week 3: Biggest Winners and Losers ft. Cade Klubnik, Arch Manning, And More
Texas vs UTEP: Box Score, Stats, and Summary Ft. Arch Manning (Week 3)
Steve Sarkisian’s Wife Loreal Pens Heartwarming Note Recapping Memories from Texas’ win vs SJSU
