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Sarkisian Praises 'Edgy' Manning After Texas Beats Ole Miss
Confirmed
In Short: Texas coach Steve Sarkisian praised quarterback Arch Manning's 'edgy' play after the Longhorns narrowly beat No. 7 Ole Miss.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian praised quarterback Arch Manning's 'edgy' play after the Longhorns narrowly beat No. 7 Ole Miss, 34-27, on Saturday night. The win came down to the final play and capped off a six-play, 80-yard drive following Manning's second interception, an overthrown ball deep down the right side.
Manning's performance was notable after the Longhorns had blown a 21-point lead in the second half. Manning threw for 41 yards in the second half after going 13-of-19 for 171 yards in the first half, which ended with a 24-3 Texas lead. He also had a 19-yard scramble and was 18 of 30 for 212 yards, according to theScore.
Sarkisian said Manning's edginess carried over to the team, which rushed for 207 yards against Ole Miss for an average of 4.9 yards per carry, allowing them to prevent a third straight blown lead. Manning had three turnovers, with one fumble on a blindside hit and two interceptions that he lamented, which Sarkisian attributed to great plays by Ole Miss' defense.
Manning said he had a chip on his shoulder all week after being challenged following Texas' back-to-back losses to Oklahoma and Florida. He went to see his family on Sunday following the Florida game and 'damn near bawled,' according to ESPN. Manning said, 'I think I kind of like being disregarded and counted out.'
Sarkisian said there will always be opinions and overreactions about Texas but that he tries to keep his team from riding the 'emotional roller coaster of the opinions of others.' He added, 'The moment we feel like we need to respond to the opinions of others, that's a dangerous way to live life.'
Manning's world, according to Sarkisian, is different than anyone else he has ever been around in the sport. Sarkisian said, 'I think our team played that way because of him. When he responds that way, when he plays that way, when he shows that fire in his belly that he had tonight, I think the team responds to that.'
Sarkisian said Manning was 'edgy' all week after being challenged following Texas' back-to-back losses to Oklahoma and Florida. Manning said with a chuckle when told of his coach's description, 'I was edgy. I don't know what that means.'
Sarkisian said despite all the injuries, he was proud of the Longhorns for beating the No. 7 team in the country, calling it a team win. He said even with the attention on his program, the noise around Manning is unique.
What this adds
The Longhorns exhaled after a week in which Sarkisian said he needed a 'better version' of his quarterback and that he had challenged Manning after the loss to the Gators.
What's confirmed
- "But the guy keeps coming back. And so we're lucky to have him as our guy."
- "I think our team played that way because of him. When he responds that way, when he plays that way, when he shows that fire in his belly that he had tonight, I think the team responds to that."
What's still developing
- Manning said he didn't see the cornerback who peeled off over the top.
- And despite Sarkisian's message about shutting out the noise, Manning said he had a chip on his shoulder all week by embracing the idea that he could potentially be benched for backup KJ Lacey, who reportedly received more first-team reps in practice this week.
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- Rough performances from Manning contributed to lost leads of 10 points against Red River rival Oklahoma and 14 points against Florida.
- The second of Manning's first two rushing touchdowns this season — he had 10 a year ago — was a solo high-stepper after his fake handoff fooled everyone.