The Texas Longhorns have just ripped off three straight wins, and their College Football Playoff hopes, which were seriously on the ropes, are suddenly breathing again. You know who is front and center for all this? Quarterback Arch Manning. He has accounted for a whopping nine touchdowns during this three-game tear.
The Roller Coaster Ride, Again
Man, it feels like we’ve seen this movie before, right? Just last season, Manning was falling down draft boards after some rough early showings against Ohio State and Florida. The Longhorns were a grim 3-2, and head coach Steve Sarkisian was out there publicly defending his guy, trying to silence the noise around Arch’s NFL prospects. Then Week 8 against Kentucky hit, and *poof*, everything just clicked. He settled into a rhythm, commanded that offense, and finished his junior year strong with big wins over in-state rival Texas A&M and Michigan in the Citrus Bowl. Everyone was talking about him leading Texas to a national championship.
But then, fast forward to this season, and it was a total rerun. Last month, after back-to-back losses to Oklahoma and, ironically, Florida, the whispers about whether Manning could actually live up to that legendary name got loud again. That 27-24 loss to Florida really stung. Sarkisian flat out said “everything is going to be evaluated,” and when pressed on a potential quarterback change, he doubled down: “Everything means everything.” There was even a report floating around that backup KJ Lacey would get more first-team reps in practice. Sitting at 4-2, with those playoff dreams looking like they were circling the drain, Manning had to dig deep. He gutted out a massive win against then-No. 10 Ole Miss, and just like that, a season that was starting to look lost got a fresh shot of adrenaline.
What’s Clicking For Arch Now?
The transformation since that Ole Miss game is undeniable. Beyond those nine touchdowns in three games, Manning’s improvement is seriously noticeable. He is ripping through his progressions way quicker now. His average time to throw over these last three games clocks in at a lightning-fast 2.76 seconds, which is nearly a half-second faster than he was earlier in the season. That’s a game-changer! His footwork is looking sharper, more efficient, too.
Remember how he only broke 200 passing yards three times in his first six games this season? Well, he has now crushed that mark in three consecutive weeks. It is easy to lose patience, especially in college football, but let’s be real. This offense was a new animal, replacing five starters from last year. They brought in more transfer portal guys than Sarkisian had ever before. This thing was always going to take some time to gel. Unfortunately, Manning often got the brunt of the criticism.
Now, that is not to say Arch has been perfect. The guy has definitely forced some throws and looked a little lost sometimes waiting for receivers to get open downfield. And let’s not forget, the offensive line has been inconsistent, struggling to protect him, plus the run game has been dealing with injuries, averaging one fewer first down per game. But despite those team-wide bumps, Manning has stepped up big time.
So, where do the Longhorns go from here? They are on a three-game heater, their quarterback is playing some of his best ball, and the season has been totally revitalized. After looking like their playoff aspirations were toast, they have pulled themselves back from the brink. The momentum is huge, and now it is all about keeping that fire lit and seeing just how far Manning can lead this squad.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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