One of the most anticipated debuts of the new College Football season was undoubtedly Arch Manning’s, as he took the reins for the Texas Longhorns. Unfortunately for him and Steve Sarkisian, it ended in a loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes, and there’s plenty of room for improvement moving forward.
That’s how his coach saw it, who, during a post-game press conference following his team’s defeat, shared his impressions of Manning’s performance—taking charge of the team after Ewers’ departure to the NFL.
“We saw some real flashes and glimpses of the type of player that he’s going to become here,” the head coach stated to the press. “Sure, he’s going to watch the tape and say ‘man, I wish this. I wish that.’ That’s the life of a competitor, but I think there’s a lot to hold onto of what the future is going to look like for Arch Manning here.”
Despite a somewhat challenging debut for Manning, his coach knows there’s plenty of room for improvement but found positive aspects to highlight from his performance.
Arch Manning #16 of the Texas Longhorns throws a first half pass.
“I thought Arch’s poise and composure was really good in this game,” Sarkisian also added. “I didn’t feel like he got rattled. I think I learned about him a little bit playing that I’ve got to let him go play. That’ll help us, but he’s going to be a really good leader.”
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Plenty to improve
Arch Manning’s highly-anticipated debut as the Longhorns’ starting quarterback was a bumpy one, leaving little doubt that the freshman still has a significant amount of development ahead.
Against an elite Ohio State defense, Manning struggled to find a rhythm, completing just 17 of 30 passes for 170 yards, with a touchdown and a costly interception. The numbers tell a story of a young player who looked overwhelmed at times by the speed and intensity of the college game’s highest level.
The performance has tempered the massive pre-season hype, but he will have an opportunity to show growth and shake off the debut jitters when the Longhorns return to Austin to face San Jose State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 6th.
What’s next for the Longhorns?
- vs San Jose State, September 6
- vs UTEP, September 13
- vs Sam Houston, September 20
- @ Florida, October 4
- Oklahoma, October 11
