Sarkisian Defends Manning Amidst Scrutiny After Loss

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is publicly defending sophomore quarterback Arch Manning, whose performance has drawn scrutiny following the Longhorns' recent 27-24 road loss to unranked Oklahoma. The defeat, which saw Texas relinquish the No. 1 ranking, was marked by two costly interceptions by Manning in the fourth quarter.

"I think if you took the name off the back of his jersey and said here’s Joe Smith playing quarterback at the University of Texas and here’s a guy who’s beaten four top-10 ranked teams in his last 13 starts, we’d be praising the guy," Sarkisian said Monday. "But the expectations are high for [Manning], and he understands that. The expectations are high for all of us, so we gotta put our nose back to the grind and get to work."

Manning, nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning, has completed 63.0 percent of his passes this season for 1,122 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions in five games. One of his interceptions against Oklahoma was returned for a touchdown, and the other occurred late in the game, setting up the Sooners' game-winning field goal.

Despite the critical turnovers, Sarkisian noted Manning's overall performance prior to the late-game miscues. "I hate it for him. He had two interceptions in the fourth quarter of that game, when, quite frankly, I thought he played pretty good up until that point," Sarkisian said. "And that’s the frustrating part, but that’s the level of consistency that’s needed. We know he can be really good in critical moments. We saw that here against Ohio State. We saw that in the fourth quarter drive against Tennessee. So just getting him back to that, playing with confidence and trust in his ability and the guys around him."

Following the loss to Oklahoma, Texas (4-1) dropped to No. 7 in the AP Top 25, with Georgia now holding the top spot. The Longhorns' path to the College Football Playoff is now narrower. The team's upcoming schedule includes games against Florida, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri, and LSU.

Sarkisian accepted responsibility for the team's performance, emphasizing the need for coaching adjustments. "I think I can always do better. I always look at myself first," he stated. "My job is to put our players in the best position to be successful. And if we’re not hitting on all cylinders, if we’re having three-and-outs, if we’re turning the ball over, clearly I have to look at what we’re doing and what we’re asking them to do first. And then are they executing what we’re asking them to do, and are those things that we’re asking them to do things that they do well? So I think it’s a combination of all that, and ultimately that’s my job, and I take full responsibility for all that."