Steve Sarkisian on Arch Manning vs. Florida: 'He fought his ass off'

Texas didn’t end up with the result it wanted in its 29-21 loss to Florida on Saturday, but Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian isn’t faulting Arch Manning. On Monday, Sarkisian praised his starting quarterback for his effort in the loss.

“I found out he’s a tough dude. He fought his ass off Saturday, and those were not ideal conditions for a quarterback to perform under,” Sarkisian said. “Is there a couple throws I’m sure he’d love to have back? Of course. But, he stood in there, and he showed a lot of contact courage, taking hits, delivering the ball. There was some really impressive throws in there, and he battled until the very end.

“He learned a lot about himself, as much as we learned about him. This guy’s got a lot of courage. He’s got a lot of toughness. I think he gained a lot of respect from his teammates Saturday, which is a great thing. Does he need to play a little better? Sure. Do we need to play a better around him? No question.”

In the loss, Manning completed 16-of-his-29 pass attempts for 263 yards and two touchdowns, while throwing two interceptions. He also recorded 37 rushing yards.

It was a long day in the pocket for Manning, who was sacked six times in the loss. Texas’ offensive front has struggled to protect Manning at times this season. The Longhorns have allowed nine sacks, ranking No. 65 in the country.

Texas doesn’t have long to solve its issues. On Saturday, the Longhorns are squaring off against Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry game. The Sooners have 21 sacks this season, tied for the second-most in college football.

Of course, Texas’ success won’t solely depend on its offensive line. After the Longhorns’ loss on Saturday, Arch Manning critiqued himself, explaining where he needs to improve before their Week 7 showdown against Oklahoma.

“For the (Florida) D-line. They played a good game. There were some (hits) where I definitely avoided, but I got to get the ball out quicker,” Manning said. “… “As much as losses sting your heart, this one’s going to hurt. It’s always something to learn from. You win some, then you learn more. We’ll learn from this and get better.”

On Saturday, Texas will look to turn a new leaf as it takes on No. 6 Oklahoma at 2:30 CT. The game will air live on ABC.