Skip to main content
Join Now
Team Avatar
Texas

Steve Spurrier reacts to Arch Manning's play in loss to Florida

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh10/06/25griffin_mcveigh
Florida-Gators-Tyreak-Sapp
Florida Gators defensive end Tyreak Sapp (94) and linebacker Myles Graham (5) sack Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. (Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images)

Steve Spurrier knows a thing or two about watching a Manning play in the Swamp. Saturday brought a different generation of the family, Arch Manning. However, the result was a familiar one for the Florida fans, taking down the Texas Longhorns to potentially propel their season in the right direction.

Monday brought a reaction from Spurrier on how Manning played. He compared the performance to what we saw out of Florida’s DJ Lagway against the Miami Hurricanes before the bye week. Spurrier noticed both guys held onto the ball way too long in their respective games.

“Their quarterback, Arch, played a little bit like Lagway the week before in terms of holding it a little long,” Spurrier said via Another Dooley Noted Podcast.

Manning spent a lot of the afternoon with pressure in his face. Florida’s defensive line got in the backfield on a routine basis vs. the Texas offensive line, causing a lot of panic buttons to be pressed in Austin. In total, Manning faced pressure on 59.5% of his dropbacks — the most for an SEC quarterback in a singular game. Ironically, Lagway vs. Miami previously held the top spot.

When the ball did get released by Manning, the results were mixed. He completed just 16 of his 29 throws, totalling 263 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. A long pass to wide receiver Ryan Wingo for a score was easily Manning’s best pass of the day, while the two INTs left many scratching their heads.

Either way, plenty of plays saw Manning releasing the ball with a Florida defender hitting him or coming close to hitting him. Spurrier would have enjoyed seeing some quicker decisions made.

This is not the first time Spurrier has discussed Manning this season. Preseason comments wondered why the hype was reaching top levels, saying there was not much previous play to back it up. But overall, Spurrier continues to support Manning as some of the struggles play out.

“I think he’ll be alright,” Spurrier said Friday on The Paul Finebaum Show. “Hopefully, after tomorrow, he can turn it around and have a great season. … Arch is going to be alright, I think, in time. After tomorrow, hopefully, he’ll get it going.”

This upcoming Saturday would be a fantastic time for Manning to get it going. Texas travels to Dallas for the Red River Shootout against the Oklahoma Sooners. Manning will experience playing in between the lines for the first time, only watching from the sidelines at the Cotton Bowl previously.