Arch Manning and the Longhorns' passing game looked much better against San Jose State, but it still seems to be missing something that Steve Sarkisian's offenses usually possess.
Play-action.
An effective play-action routine allows the offense to mesh the run and pass together in order to influence defenses into making bad decisions on a fairly consistent basis. If an offense can successfully make a defense believe that a run is a pass, and a pass is a run, then quite a few things can go wrong for the defense.
Texas has been lacking in this area, which is evident on the field as opposing defenses have been able to diagnose plays and put themselves into advantageous positions fairly regularly, especially Ohio State in week one.
The play action vs. straight drop back numbers for Arch Manning are pretty insane.
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) September 11, 2025
Out of 141 qualifying QBs, here is how Manning grades out by PFF in both categories.
• 135th (38.9) in play action passes
• 2nd (93.4) in straight drop backs
PA just hasn't clicked so far.
It's not 100% clear as to the outright cause of Manning's ineffectiveness in this area, but it's something that absolutely has to be fixed over the next two games before Texas gets into conference play.
Sark addressed this topic in his presser yesterday as well when it comes to Manning and his comfortability on play-action:
"I think Arch is very comfortable under center in his mechanics. Here's a guy who's been studying the quarterback position his whole life. I'm sure watching his uncles and mimicking those things in the backyard when he was a kid, it's a little more comfortable for him. I feel like it helps our run game some in that. When you look at a back like (CJ Baxter) for him to be able to line up 7.5 yards behind the quarterback, run downhill, get his pads square and be physical. I also think it helps the play action pass game. I do think there's something to be said about the quarterback turning his back to the line of scrimmage, the offensive line with an opportunity to fire out, it gives a little bit of a different feel than when the quarterback is just in the gun and the running back is coming across. We're trying to create voids in the secondary and those immediate throws."
This might be the biggest area to pay attention to over the next couple of weeks against UTEP and Sam Houston.