IT Roundtable: Texas vs. Sam Houston keys to the game, score predictions, Manning insight, history lessons

The Texas Longhorns face their final non-conference opponent of the 2025 regular season on Saturday night when they welcome the Sam Houston State Bearkats. The Inside Texas staff offers keys to the game, score predictions, Arch Manning insights, and even a history lesson or two.

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1. What does Arch Manning need to do Saturday to give you confidence going into SEC play?

Eric Nahlin – Hit open receivers. That would indicate him playing with better composure and mechanics.

Justin Wells – Hit open receivers and drink a gallon of confidence.

Ian Boyd – I just want to see him play with better pacing and not be so sped up. An inaccurate pass now and then isn’t the end of the world, nor is the occasional misread. He has to play poised and manage games though because the rest of this offense needs the leadership.

Joe Cook – Trust his reads and make the throws that he’s been making for the past 15 or so years. He’s not seeing ghosts, he’s just sped up. Rely on what he’s learned at Isidore Newman, at Nicholls State in the summer at his family’s quarterback training camp from his own family, and at Texas.

Paul Wadlington – Make normal QB throws on time to open receivers.

Charlie Williams – He has to be efficient, protect the ball, and finish drives with touchdowns and not field goals

Evan Vieth – Hit the simple throws that have no reason being incompletions. I don’t think he can get me truly confident off this one game, but if he eliminates the true head-scratching mistakes it would be a start.

NashTalksTexas – Stop looking jittery in the pocket. Need to see him recognizing the open receivers and having the confidence to pull the trigger and throw a catchable pass.

RT Young – I’ll need to see that in SEC play, but I want him back on track with the QB we saw last year from the eye test perspective.

2. What does the rest of the offense need to do to give you confidence going into SEC play? Who are the important figures for you in answering this question?

Eric Nahlin – If Arch can hit the open receivers, Texas will simply need to find a run game identity that includes Arch’s legs. Ryan Wingo, Cole Hutson, and DJ Campbell need to play up to their potential. If Arch and Wingo can get going the offense will sputter out of first gear.

Justin Wells – Put themselves in better down and distances. No 2nd- and 3rd-and-long situations.

Ian Boyd – SHSU is not a good barometer for offensive health for a few reasons. For one, Texas can probably get away with stuff it wouldn’t get away with against SEC defenses in this contest. For another, SHSU will probably junk up the defense in a way most SEC teams wouldn’t. Some confident and decisive play by the O-line and running backs would still be nice to see.

Joe Cook – Throughout that string of 10 incompletions on Saturday, the O-line was pretty good in pass protection. But the run blocking, obviously, left a lot to be desired. I want to see more from the tight ends in that part of the offense if Steve Sarkisian is going to keep 12 personnel as a feature.

Paul Wadlington – The OL needs to look at different combinations and lean into the athleticism at tackle. The interior OL has a range of issues without easy solutions. The RBs need to demonstrate some sort of juice. Maybe a healthy Tre Wisner progresses them to league average?

Charlie Williams – The O-line has to dominate up front, the run game needs to be consistent, and Texas needs to find a for sure third down go to guy. For me, the key figures are the offensive line as a unit and Arch Manning

Evan Vieth – Establishing the run is priority No. 1. That mostly comes from the IOL and secondary tight ends providing any sort of push at the line of scrimmage. No CJ Baxter or Tre Wisner this weekend but those are players that also need to be extending their runs for extra yardage.

NashTalksTexas – The running game has to look elite. After a promising week one the offensive line has been disappointing in the run game, as well as the running backs struggling to get more yardage than what was blocked for. Texas needs explosives versus a team like Sam Houston, with or without a healthy Tre Wisner.

RT Young – I want one of the three young running backs to emerge and make SHSU look very bad. To see another WR pop besides the three starters would be really nice too.

3. The defense has been fantastic at all three levels. What do you want to see from them against Sam Houston?

Eric Nahlin – Youth! The coaches have actually played a little tighter rotations than I anticipated.

Justin Wells – Sacks, interceptions, tackles for loss, and violence.

Ian Boyd – It really doesn’t matter. I mean, they need to play well and make sure Texas doesn’t lose the game but it’s not something I’m worried about. Further growth by younger defensive backs facing a team that will throw the ball around is always very valuable for building depth.

Joe Cook – Sound play up and down the depth chart. I’m not all that worried about the front-line guys, but Pete Kwiatkowski is probably going to give a lot of players the opportunity to play this week. They all need to do their job.

Paul Wadlington – No touchdowns allowed. Three turnovers.

Charlie Williams – Create at least three turnovers!

Evan Vieth – More pressure that is converted into sacks.

NashTalksTexas – I want to see them stay sound in their assignments and just continue to work.

RT Young – Lay down and let the Bearkats score, make Sark and Arch work for it!

4. Score prediction

Eric Nahlin – 42-7, Texas

Justin Wells – 27-10, Texas

Ian Boyd – 48-6, Texas

Joe Cook – 41-13, Texas

Paul Wadlington – 42-3, Texas

Charlie Williams – 37-3, Texas

Evan Vieth – 41-3, Texas

NashTalksTexas – 55-0, Texas

RT Young – 5-4 SHSU, David Pierce leaves Tristan Stevens in for an inning too long and it costs the Longhorns.

BONUS: Favorite Sam Houston Tidbit

Eric Nahlin – My dear friend who played a foundational role in my early Texas fandom was a walk-on triple-legacy at Texas at the turn of the century. He ended up coaching after college and one of his stops was Sam Houston when Tom Herman was there. Plenty of stories from those days. He’s a high school coach now so he doesn’t get to attend many games but he’ll be there. He joked “I can’t lose this weekend.”

Justin Wells – I have a buddy that played baseball at Sam and was on the cover of USA Today after they beat No. 1 Miami in the NCAAs.

Ian Boyd – My brother played Sam Houston in the CC Mason Elementary School play that dramatized Texas’ history as a state. He got to pretend he needed a cane and shake his head in disappointment at his fellow Texans over the decision to secede from the Union.

Joe Cook – He was baptized (for a second time) (as an adult) in 1854 by the president of Baylor University.

Paul Wadlington – When Sam Houston was 16 years old, he ran away to live with the Cherokee for three years. He became an adopted son and learned to speak the language fluently.

Charlie Williams – SHSU players feel they play with more effort and strain than Texas players.

RT Young – Won the Texas Revolution by attacking at nap time. Genius. Hated Mirabeau B. Lamar so much that he dressed as George Washington during Lamar’s presidential inauguration and ripped him so badly that Texas’ second president couldn’t even give a coherent speech. Also the statue of him in Huntsville is so unbelievably tall you’ll do a double take whenever you pass it. Long live The Raven.