Despite the Texas football team taking care of UTEP in a 27-10 win, Arch Manning's rough start to the season drew even more criticism on Saturday. His uneven play once again raised doubts about whether he's ready to consistently lead the Longhorns' offense against top competition.
Inside the locker room, though, teammates were quick to stand behind their quarterback. As reported by ESPN, safety Michael Taaffe acknowledged that the boos from the stands were impossible to ignore, but stressed that the team has the responsibility to flip that energy.
”The fans are the ones who make it go,” Taaffe said, adding that it's on the Longhorns to give them reasons to cheer. Offensive lineman Trevor Goosby echoed that support.
”He's still a great quarterback. I tell him that every day.”
Manning himself admitted that he has to play better. Against UTEP, he completed just 11 of 25 passes for 114 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also endured a stretch of 10 straight incompletions and looked uncomfortable at times, missing throws he typically makes.
Still, he found ways to contribute on the ground with 51 rushing yards and two touchdowns, preventing the night from looking worse on the scoreboard.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian said Manning pressed after missing throws but reaffirmed his belief that the redshirt sophomore has plenty of high-level football in him.
Through three games, Manning has thrown for 579 yards and six touchdowns while completing just 55.2% of his passes. The raw talent remains evident, but the inconsistency has fueled the growing skepticism outside the program.
Even in victory, the spotlight remained on Manning's struggles. The Texas football team wasn't in danger of losing to UTEP, but the home crowd made its frustration clear. As the Longhorns turn the page toward Sam Houston State, Manning has another chance to steady himself and prove he can handle the heavy expectations that have followed him since he stepped on campus.
