Elite efficiency and toughness in preparation gave Arch Manning an unforgettable Red River performance

Arch Manning has received more heat than any individual in college football this season. From consistent expectations since the second he stepped on campus to be great to an almost laughably poor New York Times article, the quarterback entered today’s Red River Rivalry with a target on his back.

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Still, with all the pressure on him to bring the Golden Hat back to Austin, he delivered.

“I think so much is made about Arch. It’s like, ‘When we don’t win, it’s his fault, but when we do win, everybody praises Arch,’” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “We’re the team, and Arch will be the first one to tell you that. He’s an awesome teammate. He works hard. He wants everybody else to do well around him.”

It wasn’t the flashy performance you might’ve expected from a player with his last name. His 21-of-27 for 166 yards and one touchdown stat line wasn’t all that impressive, but it was exactly what the Longhorns needed in the environment this game brought.

A promised clash of two defensive titans was delivered in the first half, with the teams combining for nine points, but it was the second half where Manning showed his poise and confidence. The Longhorns converted seven of eight third downs in the third quarter, with Manning keeping the ball out of harm’s way and delivering 10 points in Texas’ favor. He would only end up needing the seven he found on a short touchdown pass to DeAndre Moore in Texas’ 23-6 win over Oklahoma, but his efficiency in that third quarter made the difference in this game.

Manning showed a new side to his game that we hadn’t seen yet. He wasn’t a game-breaking deep-ball passer who would put his team in tough situations but bring them up out of nowhere. He was a game manager. That’s a big compliment.

Manning had just two passes that went farther than 15 yards downfield, but both were converted for over 20-yard gains. He had just six incompletions on the game—three of which came from pressure, two from pass breakups, and one throwaway. Zero turnover-worthy plays.

“We’ve got a lot of talented playmakers,” Manning said. “Get it to them quick, let them make plays.”

That ball control allowed Texas to do whatever it wanted to the Sooners. The Longhorns had 19 minutes of possession in the second half, won the turnover margin by three, and averaged four yards per carry. Manning, on his own, added 40 yards on the ground on just three rushes.

“Arch took a lot of hits last week,” Sarkisian said. “And the biggest thing that impressed me this week about his game—he didn’t miss one rep of practice this week. He came back Monday, and he was not 100%. He was beat up, but he took every rep. And I think coming out of the game like that, you earn the respect of your teammates—that’s the toughness you’ve got to have, and that’s the preparation that you have to have.”

Texas now has a new identity with its quarterback and team as a whole. They won’t need 30 points to beat teams like they did against Florida last week. In a bounce-back performance from the defense, Texas showed that it would only need its QB to make the correct decision and control the time of possession.

This seemed like something Manning wouldn’t be capable of as recently as last week, but he proved that he could do it against one of the best defenses in the nation. A 78% completion percentage, zero turnovers, just one sack taken, and the ability to use his legs to extend plays and give his team more chances at the end zone.

Manning has now played two of the five best defenses in the nation. It was a struggle against Ohio State, but a clear jumping-off point after Oklahoma.

Just wait until he starts throwing bombs again.