Booger McFarland issues challenge to Arch Manning vs. Georgia: 'Will the real Arch please stand up'

With back-to-back strong showings before the bye week, Texas quarterback Arch Manning will look to keep the momentum going on Saturday against Georgia. But ESPN’s Booger McFarland also has a challenge for the Longhorns’ starter.

McFarland wants to see more consistency from Manning, who has had an up-and-down go through his first year as QB1 in Austin. Through nine games, he has completed 62.7% of his passes for 2,123 yards and 18 touchdowns, to six interceptions. He also has 203 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

Over the last two matchups against Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, though, Manning completed 68.4% of his passes for 674 yards and six touchdowns, to just one interception. But with a primetime matchup awaiting at Georgia, McFarland said he hopes it continues to come together for the former top recruit.

“Will the real Arch please stand up?” McFarland told Kevin Negandhi on SportsCenter Wednesday “I haven’t seen it consistently all season long. I saw spurts of it against Mississippi State, but I want to see Arch Manning come out – everybody in America’s going to be watching you and I, Kev. There’s going to be 10, 12, 15 million people watching this game. And I want Arch Manning to have a really good performance because we came into this season saying he was the next one.

“He’s disappointed so far, but now, he gets the spotlight to himself … and I want to see what Arch Manning’s going to do. This is going to be a fun game to watch.”

Booger McFarland: ‘Can Texas stop the Georgia running game?’

There’s plenty at stake for both Arch Manning and Texas in Saturday’s game. The Longhorns have two losses this year, and a third would make it even tougher for them to make the College Football Playoff after just making the projected 12-team bracket on Tuesday.

But McFarland said in addition to consistency from Manning, Texas will have to stop Georgia’s rushing attack, led by Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens. The Bulldogs play a physical brand of football in head coach Kirby Smart’s image.

“Kirby and I played against each other – he was at Georgia, I was at LSU – and he was a physical safety back then,” McFarland said. “His teams are mirror images of who he is now. They’re very physical. And at some point, the Georgia Bulldogs line up, they put the running back in the I formation and they run the football downhill.

“So can Texas stop the Georgia running game? Frazier, Bowens, those guys are going to come downhill and at some point, you’re gonna have to man up and be able to stop Georgia’s physicality because they take you into the phone booth at some point during the game.”