Arch Manning keeps blocking out the noise + Steve Sarkisian Zoom updates

The noise around Arch Manning has been deafening for a long time, but it was ratcheted up to another level in the aftermath of the Florida game. National outlets calling him college football’s first flop, something that Manning said Monday he didn’t know about. After Oklahoma, the noise was still loud but it had a positive tone. Teammate Michael Taaffe posted an Instagram story praising the Longhorns’ quarterback. Manning didn’t know about that one either.

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Blocking out the noise is a common cliche in football, and it’s one Texas has used often in the past few weeks, months, and years. It isn’t just a message that’s repeated inside the walls of the Longhorn football program.

“I feel like I try to do my best of blocking out the noise,” Manning said Monday. “Then you get 100 text messages. ‘Keep blocking out the noise.’ There must be a lot of noise. I try my best.”

For Steve Sarkisian, he’s seen Manning’s best efforts and believes that, yes, No. 16 has done a good job of insulating himself from exterior praise, criticism, and commentary.

“Do his habits change? His did not,” Sarkisian said Thursday on his weekly Zoom. “Arch prepares. He works at his craft. He’s in the building. He meeting with Coach Milwee. He’s meeting with Coach Bimonte. He’s doing extra work after practice, working on specific routes with guys on the team of ‘hey, we want to make sure we get this right.’ He’s making audibles. He’s making checks. He’s taking command of the huddle. I don’t think there’s been a sigh of relief from Arch. I think it’s been more of we’ve got to drill deeper.”

Manning knew criticism was going to come his way, but so far there has been no shortage of confidence from the Longhorns’ starter even with the noise around him.

“I wasn’t playing well,” Manning said. “I’m going to continue to get better. Everybody has their own opinion. That’s what’s good about America. Freedom of speech. It doesn’t bother me.”

Texas has said that every game going forward is a Southeastern Conference Championship Game, something that has truth to it especially if the Longhorns want to make the actual SEC Championship in early December. Any loss and Texas’ ability to contend for the conference crown likely slips away.

Treating Kentucky like a good team, and shutting out anything that focuses on the Wildcats’ 2-3 record, is part of the ‘blocking out the noise’ process. So far, Sarkisian has seen exactly what he wanted from his quarterback when it comes to putting his emphasis on leading Texas into Lexington.

“I haven’t seen anything to tell me anything else, that he’s not going to be ready to go,” Sarkisian said.

Updates from Steve Sarkisian’s Thursday Zoom

Opening statement: “Back on the road this week. Hope you guys are getting your frequent flier miles here with this month of October. This has been an exciting week for us. Every week poses its own unique challenges and its own unique opportunities. This is a great opportunity for our team this week to really grow and show the maturity good teams have. All of last week, we heard how lousy we were, our backs were against the wall, we weren’t what everybody thought we were going to be. We went out and practiced really well. We had a great sense of urgency. Guys prepared well. It was a rivalry game. They were really well connected. The sideline engagement was fantastic last Saturday, and we played well. We won. Zero turnovers on offense. Created three on defense.

Now this week is the test of the maturity of the team. Can we quiet the outside noise again of everybody saying we’re great again, and Arch is great again and all these things, and focus on the things that helped us play well? That’s the intent in practice, the preparation, the sense of urgency, the connectivity amongst the team, the sideline engagement on Saturday, our ability to take care of the ball and not give up short fields, our ability to play well at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, our ability to create turnovers defensively. That’s the real test. I love the opportunity for our guys because I really feel like if we can do it again that’s creating habits and now that becomes the norm of who we are. That’s been the message all week. I think the guys have responded very well.

We’ll find out here Saturday night of what that’s all about. Should be a great environment at Kentucky. Night game. We’re looking forward to the opportunity. We’ll see what happens.”

Steve Sarkisian on Jack Endries: “I’m satisfied with how he’s contributing. Naturally, we’ve been finding our way as a passing game. We need him to be a contributor probably more so than he is right now, whether it’s he or Jordan Washington or any of those tight ends. It’s a deep room. The tight end is a really good friend to a quarterback, and we probably haven’t been friendly enough to Arch in utilizing the tight end. So creating a few more opportunities there for some throws to the tight end I think will be beneficial for our offense. I think it’ll be beneficial for Arch, and obviously for those guys and most importantly Jack. If we can find some completions for him to where we can continue to move the chains forward and stay out of those third and long situations that have plagued us early in the season.”

Steve Sarkisian on the O-line and Nick Brooks taking a step: “I really felt the intent in practice with that group. I thought (Kyle) Flood did a great job. I thought those guys were engaged into the plan. I thought we played fast on the offensive line. I thought we were thinking a little bit less, attacking more, and then in turn were more physical. When you can do those things, then you can build some confidence and you can grow. I think the second thing in the game I was impressed with was we knew OU had a very good defensive front, and they made their plays too. It’s not like every run was blocked perfectly and every dropback pass was blocked perfectly. What we did was show some mental toughness and resolve to move onto the next play and not let the previous play harbor. I think was indicative of that.

I felt like against Florida, he got a little overwhelmed at times where one play led into the next into the next. I thought at OU week he practiced well and maybe when a play wasn’t perfect he got onto the next play. He has a false start early in that game. Understandable. First career start. Red River Rivalry, he has a false start. I don’t think he let that negative play linger. He was able to move on. That’s a good sign for us that we’re able to recalibrate and give the next play the credit it deserves and focus on it.”

Steve Sarkisian provides update on Cole Hutson, praise for Connor Robertson

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Steve Sarkisian on building connections with receivers and making the most of the scramble drill: “I think what the hardest part for everybody is the mannerism of the quarterback. Quinn (Ewers‘) ability to kind of slide and move and stay in the pocket, and then when he decided to run, you could tell. That’s the hardest part for the receiver.

With Arch, it’s new. Is he really scrambling? Is he not? How explosive is he? Is he really moving out of the pocket or is he sliding through the pocket? Part of that comes with playing with a guy. Sometimes, it takes game reps to see that, feel that, sense that and what that looks like. I think all of our guys did a nice job. I know I touched on DeAndre (Moore)‘s touchdown catch, but he has another third down conversion that he adjusts with (Arch). I think Ryan Wingo has a really nice play. Arch gets flushed to his left, Ryan slides back and gets a third down conversion on that. There’s another play earlier in the game where Arch is in a dropback, flushes to his left, and DeAndre comes from across the field to get into his vision.

I think it’s a feel thing, but also a feel with the quarterback of when he’s actually leaving the pocket as opposed to just moving within the pocket, and when is it time to break off your route and try to get into his vision.”

Steve Sarkisian on Tre Wisner: “I think he’s gotten better and stronger. Coming off of injuries is always difficult mentally and physically. Am I okay to push it? Am I really okay to go? I think what he found out last week is he’s healthy, he’s good, he’s strong, and he’s mentally strong in going and doing those things. We know Tre very well. We know what he’s capable of. We know the mental and physical toughness he possesses. I think he served as a great example for some of our younger backs in the style of running Tre runs with, the physicality, the speed through the hole and not to the hole, I think it was very helpful.”

Steve Sarkisian says Christian Clark and James Simon had their best week of practice this week “because I think they actually saw the healthy version of Tre Wisner and what it looks like to run in game and then come back and practice and do it again this weekend.”

Steve Sarkisian confirms Inside Texas’ reporting that they are starting to work with Michael Terry III at running back: “He’s now in the running back room, and he’s been very impressive. He’s been playing scout team running back for us the last three weeks ago. He’s been doing it, but now he’s in the room. We’ll see if he’s ready for Saturday or not, or over time. He’s like Ryan Niblett. When you can learn all of the offense, now you can become a real weapon in a sense of is he lining up at wide receiver? Is he lining up at running back? Is he motioning in or out of both? That can create some opportunities for you there as we continue to grow his role. Been thoroughly impressed with Michael. He is an unbelievable athlete. Very smart. I think he’s a guy who can help us as we continue to grow his role in the program.”

Steve Sarkisian says he believes a couple underrated aspects about his team are special teams and turnover margin. Says he believes Texas is starting to hit its stride on special teams and that the specialists have done a great job. Texas is +6 on turnovers: “We’ve got to win as a team, and those two phases of our game are very important to us playing the style of football that we want to play.”