Steve Sarkisian evaluates Arch Manning’s performance in loss to Ohio State
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Steve Sarkisian wasn’t in a celebratory mood after his top-ranked Texas team fell flat in Columbus and lost its much-anticipated season opener against No. 3 Ohio State.
The Longhorns only put up 7 points, and a lot of that fell on the feet of new starting quarterback Arch Manning, who came into Saturday with grand expectations (and hype) but left with a big loss and a lot of question marks. But Sarkisian also wasn’t throwing sand on his team’s performance or that of Manning on Saturday, because he saw strides being made as the afternoon wore on at Ohio Stadium, even as Texas ultimately fell short and became the first preseason No. 1 team to lose its season opener since 1990.
That’s because Manning did make the strides that Sarkisian was referencing. After being shut out for the first 3 quarters and then some, Texas and Manning began to show some rhythm in the fourth quarter as it made Ohio State sweat out the win. Manning tossed a 32-yard touchdown pass to Parker Livingstone with 3:28 remaining in the game to suddenly get the Longhorns within 1 score at 14-7.
After a 3-and-out by Ohio State, Manning actually had a shot to lead Texas on a game-tying drive, and the Longhorns did move the ball to about midfield, making thoughts of a stunning rally creep into the minds of every Longhorn fan. But the drive ultimately fizzled, Ohio State held strong and finished the game out for the 14-7 win.
That left Sarkisian to explain the performance by Manning, who tossed an interception and went 17 of 30 for 170 yards. Manning also failed to convert a 4th-and-goal from the Ohio State 1-yard line midway through the third quarter that could have tied the game at 7-7 and made Saturday a whole different narrative. But Manning was stopped at the goal line, Ohio State went up 14-0 soon after and there was a whole different narrative by Sarkisian, who kept it as positive as possible.
He said that Manning began to “settle in” during that second half.
“He started really playing and we saw some flashes and glimpses of the guy he is. … There’s a lot to hold onto on what the future is going to look like here for Arch Manning,” Sarkisian said.
The season isn’t over just because Manning lost this 1 game, as huge as it was. There is a Week 2, and next week Manning will make his home debut as the starter against San Jose State.
All eyes will be on him then and all season, as fans and media watch to see if Manning learns from Saturday’s hard lessons.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
