Looking for a new leading rusher to replace Arch Manning + SEC Coaches Teleconference updates

As Texas enters the Red River Shootout, the Longhorns’ leading rusher is quarterback Arch Manning.

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Manning has 43 carries for 160 yards and five touchdowns this year, including yardage lost to sacks. The next leading rusher? Jerrick Gibson, who has 36 carries for 155 yards and one score.

Texas has five players with over 100 yards rushing this season in Manning, Gibson, James Simon, Christian Clark, and CJ Baxter. Not far behind is Quintrevion Wisner, who has 91 yards and a score this season.

Injuries to Wisner and Baxter function as the contributing factor to Manning sitting atop the team leaderboard for yards on the ground. All the same, Texas has not been able to run the ball with great efficiency against like competition this year.

Wisner commended Manning on Monday for stepping up and making the most of opportunities. But still, it’s odd to see a quarterback lead a Steve Sarkisian Texas team in rushing.

With that in mind, did Sarkisian challenge the running back room, and those involved with the rushing offense, to do better this week as Oklahoma approaches?

“There’s a lot of people and things that have been challenged this week, including myself,” Sarkisian said Wednesday on the SEC Coaches Teleconference. “To point out one thing or another probably wouldn’t be fair to all the facets of trying to push the right buttons to make sure we put our best foot forward. Naturally, I think the injury bug has hindered that with (Wisner) and (Baxter) being injured and trying to find our way with some of the younger players. Arch has obviously utilized his legs very well. Ideally, one or two of those guys can find their rhythm and find their groove here as we move towards the second half of the season.”

Finding that groove against the Sooners will be difficult. Oklahoma leads the SEC and is top six in the country in a litany of defensive categories.

Brent Venables in March 2025: “Why am I going to call the defense? Because I’m good at it.”
 
Venables’ Oklahoma defense on Oct. 5, 2025: pic.twitter.com/Rq4IHIBf1p

— Mike Houck (@mhouckOU) October 5, 2025

Texas hopes Wisner, or someone from Chad Scott‘s room, can bring the Sooners back down to earth in some of those categories this Saturday.

Other updates from Sarkisian on the SEC Coaches Teleconference

Steve Sarkisian: “Obviously an exciting week in any season, in particularly this one. The 121st meeting between Texas and OU in the Red River Rivalry in Dallas at the State Fair in the Cotton Bowl. In my opinion, it’s the premier game, the best game, in all of college football year in and year out.”

Steve Sarkisian fields a question about Bijan Robinson, repeating some familiar remarks: “I think Bijan is a complete player. Not just at running back, but a complete football player in particular at the running back position. He’s got the size, he has the speed, he has the feel and the vision. He has the one cut ability. He can make full speed cuts and get to top end speed. He’s got a very high football IQ. He’s got elite hands out of the backfield.”

Steve Sarkisian on Arch Manning and his time to pass in the pocket: “I think it depends on what you’re trying to do offensively. Arch is a guy who can put the ball down the field. We’re trying to, especially early on in the season, play to his strengths and try to do some things that he does well. Well, that requires holding the ball for half a second longer. When you do that, that stresses the protection.”

“What you try to do is find balance in all those things to where you can throw the deep ball, throw the intermediate ball, and throw the short ball in certain games, certain times, certain parts of the season. You lean into one aspect more than the other. If you’re throwing a lot of quick game and RPOs and screens, that number is going to be really low. It might be below two. If you’re holding the ball and trying to push it down the field, or you’re behind in the game and scrambling around a little bit and you’re taking shots down the field, that number might be higher. Ideally, you’re probably in the mid two (seconds). That’s usually the averages when it’s all said and done.”

Steve Sarkisian answered one question about the atmosphere in the The Swamp, providing similar accolades to Florida fans as he did postgame in Gainesville.

Steve Sarkisian on the rivalry: “I think what makes this game and what separates this game and makes it so unique is the game being held annually in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl in the middle of the State Fair with the fans being split 50-50 down the middle. It just creates such an environment.”

“It’s the most unique setting in college football, one where I cherish every opportunity. Again, I’m getting goosebumps thinking about it right now because it’s not that home and home where you go in one stadium then the other. The fact that it’s there very year, both fan bases do a great job of showing up and supporting their teams.”

Steve Sarkisian on Arch Manning‘s accuracy vs. Florida: “To me, that’s what we’re used to. I think that was the frustrating part for him and ourselves early in the season when he wasn’t quite as accurate. I think he’s starting to come into his own now and improve and play more true to himself, which is a great sign for us.’