Arch Manning’s first half against UTEP has been far from what Texas fans expected. The young quarterback has struggled with accuracy, missing receivers on several occasions. His decision-making has also been questioned.
The passing numbers tell the story of his struggles. Manning has connected on only a handful of passes while attempting more than a dozen. At halftime, Manning had 5 of 16 passes for just 69 yards.
The inconsistency has opened the door for criticism. Manning is completing less than 35 percent of his throws, and the lack of confidence in the pocket is evident. The crowd has grown restless as drives sputtered and chances slipped away.
It didn’t take long for the fans to notice a terrible pattern in today’s game and they went on X to criticize the star quarterback.
“Arch Manning is not making great decisions. He’s not seeing the field. And his mechanics don’t look great. To put it bluntly it was an awful half vs UTEP,” Danny Kanell WROTE on X.
Arch Manning is not making great decisions. He’s not seeing the field. And his mechanics don’t look great. To put it bluntly it was an awful half vs UTEP
— Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) September 13, 2025
In response to Kanell’s post, several fans expressed their frustration with how Manning has played so far.
“It’s like he doesn’t have coaching. Wingo should go ahead and transfer,” a fan wrote.
“Yeah Arch has a ways to go…I see why he sat behind Ewers,” a fan wrote.
“He looks lost. Do you think he’s playing injured? 5/16 vs Utep is crazy,” a fan wrote.
“Almost starting to look like he sat being a 7th rounder and could break thru for 2 full seasons,” a fan wrote.
“Is he gonna shake the jitters?” a fan wrote.
“He’s a name only,” a fan wrote.
The performance from Manning so far has been disheartening for the Texas fans. Some of them are still hopeful that he’ll turn it around in the second half.
Arch Manning Has a Lot to Lose This Season
This was expected to be Manning’s breakout season. After years of being in the shadows and not being the team’s primary quarterback, he finally got his wish fulfilled. He is the starting QB for arguably the strongest team.
A lot of attention has been on Manning’s future after college. Considering he comes from the celebrated Manning family, it’s likely that he’ll continue to attract the media’s attention. However, a string of poor performances can affect his NFL Draft potential.
Many believe that the Texas QB will be a top draft pick whenever he enters the NFL Draft. But this season has told a different story so far. Manning’s inability to handle pressure and be consistent has been a real problem.
When his time to be in the NFL Draft finally comes, teams will be looking back at his current run. If he improves here, it won’t only help his program, but it’ll also make him a highly touted draft prospect.
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