The Texas football program was humbled by Ohio State last week to start the 2025 college football season. But Texas is back on track after getting a win against San Jose State on Saturday. Perhaps more encouraging than the win itself was seeing QB Arch Manning significantly improve his play.
The Longhorns had big expectations for Manning heading into the 2025 season. That made the Ohio State lose incredibly concerning.
But Manning immediately turned things around against San Jose State.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian praised Manning after the game. He noted that Arch improved by playing more of his game against San Jose State than he did against Ohio State.
“I thought today was a by-product of the week of work. He played aggressive throughout the week. He studied the game plan, he knew exactly what we were trying to do, and I thought today he played more of his style,” Sarkisian said. “[Manning] extended plays, used his legs, scrambles for a touchdown. That's the style of player that he is.”
Manning went 19-of-30 for 295 yards and four touchdowns against the Spartans. He also added four carries for 23 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Manning even connected on a 83-yard touchdown to Parker Livingstone.
Sarkisian did note that the Longhorns “didn't catch the ball great for [Manning].” But he was still pleased with how Manning made something out of nothing when plays broke down.
“Him playing his game and not trying to play at somebody else's style of game, I think it is important for him,” Sarkisian said.
Manning played better than a week before, but he still knows he has plenty to improve.
The young quarterback said he has “a lot to work on” after throwing a bad interception against the Spartans. He even called his play “sloppy” on the interception.
Regardless, Manning was pleased to get things turned in the right direction after last week's concerning loss.
“Anytime you can get points on the board after a slow start, it feels good,” Manning said. “Then, [we] finally got some rhythm. Defense started stepping up, too, so we've just got to start quicker next week.”
Next up for Texas is a home game against UTEP on September 13th.
