Week 3 is over, and while No. 8 Texas walked away with a win, the struggles remain a point of contention for Arch Manning and the Longhorns’ offense. The season's story so far is clear: the defense is doing the heavy lifting, and the offense needs to hold up its end of the deal.
Manning showed flashes of athleticism in the run game and while scrambling, but his passing performance was subpar at best. Simply put, this team won’t survive SEC play moving forward like this - it just won’t work.
Arch Manning simply is not an FBS quarterback right now. 4th & 5 early in the first quarter. The CB passes Ryan Wingo (top of the screen) off to the safety who drops deep. He's wide open. Arch has to step up and make the throw. pic.twitter.com/KMpxVXo5pp
— Dan Why-Ner (@ReallyDanWeiner) September 14, 2025
Execution Must Improve
For Manning and the offense, one of the biggest hurdles is execution. The Longhorns need to:
1. Convert on third down
2. Take the field goals when they are called for and stop going for it on fourth down
3. Establish the run first, then open the playbook and spread the ball around
When the offense sputters, it puts unnecessary pressure on the defense to carry the load. That isn't a good sign with conference play coming up.
More Than a Tune-Up
No. 8 Texas (2-1) hosts Sam Houston (0-3) in week 4. It looks like an easy win on paper, but for Manning, this game is needed for reps. He needs reps, reps, and more reps! These are the games where a quarterback can sharpen timing, work on pocket poise, and grow into the leader that his team needs - but everyone has to take it seriously. For Steve Sarkisian, if there ever was a time to open up the playbook and see what his guys can execute, this is the time to do that. Texas fans haven't given up on the team.
Keys for Manning
"I love the end of the movie for him when he gets on the other side of this."
— Bob Ballou (@BobBallouSports) September 15, 2025
Steve Sarkisian on Arch Manning fighting through this adversity... #HookEm pic.twitter.com/RvfbTTais3
As the offense takes the field, here’s what we’ll be watching for from Manning:
Accuracy/Mechanics: Can he deliver the ball where his receivers can make a play? Get his feet and eyes in the same place to be on target. Get rid of the sidearm throwing motion.
Decision making: Will he trust his progressions and not throw the ball up for grabs? Worst case is throwing the ball out of bounds - stop throwing across the body and into traffic.
Red zone efficiency: Can he engineer touchdowns instead of coming up empty-handed? Have the confidence to speak with the coach about what you're seeing.
Final Word
Manning doesn’t have to be perfect, but he has to execute. Texas has the national champion caliber defense to line it up with anyone in the country, but the name of the game is scoring more points than your opponents. It's time for Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns to return to basics.