Finally, after a sluggish start to the season, the Texas Longhorns looked like the top-ranked team they started the year as.
A big part of that was quarterback Arch Manning having one of the best games, if not the best game, of his young career. Beyond his own poise in the pocket, his success could be largely credited to head coach Steve Sarkisian finally figuring out how to set him up for success.
Simply put, Manning was absolutely incredible when he got the ball out quickly, and Sarkisian leaned into that success, calling more screen passes and quick throws than he had before.
Arch Manning's success on short yardage throws
While the Longhorns can't rely entirely on screens and short connections, it worked perfectly against the Vanderbilt Commodores.
When Manning got the ball out of his hands in under 2.5 seconds, he completed 88.9 percent of his pass attempts for two touchdowns and 209 yards. It was the perfect recipe for success and should be something the Texas offense leans into for the rest of the season.
College football analyst Josh Yourish broke the numbers down for the entire season, and the same trend has been true: Manning is elite when he passes the ball quickly.
With an extremely young offensive line in front of him, Manning had been pressured on snap after snap over the first eight games of the year, especially as he tried to extend plays.
Taking the pressure off the O-Line to hold off the pass rushers for extended periods of time allowed the offense to work smoothly and succinctly, relying on the elite receiving corps to earn yards after catch.
Over the next few weeks, Texas has to face some of its toughest competition yet, visiting the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs and hosting both the No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies as well as the Arkansas Razorbacks.
If Manning and Sarkisian can continue to adapt the offensive style of play to best benefit the quarterback, then the end of the season might look very different than what people have feared.
After a bye in Week 12, the Horns will take a trip to Athens to face the Bulldogs on Saturday, Nov. 15. Game time and the broadcast channel have yet to be announced, but it will kick off during the 2:30-3:30 p.m. CT time slot or the one right after, between 5 and 7 p.m. CT.