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'Arch is the play!': Manning rises to the occasion and lifts Texas to a Citrus Bowl win

Jeff Howe
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Jeff Howe Lifetime Longhorn

Jeff Howe

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Throughout the 2025 season, whenever I’ve been asked to describe or define the identity of the Texas offense, my answer hasn’t changed.

It's Arch Manning.

When the Longhorns started a critical fourth-quarter drive in Wednesday’s 41-27 win over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl, with Texas (10-3) facing a 27-24 deficit with 10:56 remaining in regulation, @Rod Babers wondered out loud during our watch along whether Steve Sarkisian would focus on players or plays to move the football.

Immediately after Manning’s fourth-and-2 scramble for 15 yards, which preceded his 30-yard touchdown strike to Kaliq Lockett for the go-ahead score, we had our answer.

“Arch is the play!” he said.

Just like he did in leading the Longhorns to wins over Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M in the regular season, Sarkisian chose to lean on Manning’s playmaking ability in the clutch. And, once again, Manning delivered, including a 60-yard touchdown scamper with 5:06 to play, which served as the final nail in the Wolverines’ coffin.

Manning played turnover-free football in the Longhorns’ four wins over opponents ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 this season. With his four-touchdown outing against Michigan (9-4), Manning (21-for-34 passing for 221 yards and two touchdowns; nine rushing attempts for 155 yards and two scores en route to Citrus Bowl MVP honors) accounted for 10 total touchdowns (seven passing and three rushing) while quarterbacking Texas to wins over the Wolverines, Sooners, Commodores and Aggies.

Even though he was bruised and bleeding in the fourth quarter, a time in which an offense that was already playing without Quintrevion Wisner and DeAndre Moore Jr. had to adjust on the fly when injuries took Emmett Mosley V (five catches for 51 yards) and Ryan Wingo (64 yards on four receptions) out of the lineup, Manning did something in Wednesday’s win that every great Longhorn quarterback has done at some point. His presence, playmaking ability and will to win elevated inexperienced weapons like Lockett and Christian Clark (105 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries) to a level nobody who’s watched Texas this season could’ve predicted was possible.

Those who follow the program have had a front-row seat to watch Manning’s season-long trajectory throughout. As the curtain falls on Manning’s redshirt sophomore campaign, his performance and production are in line with what a lot of folks unfairly expected he’d show from the outset in 2025.

He’ll take a 12-3 record as a starting quarterback into the 2026 season, one in which the Longhorns will be expected to contend for a berth in the College Football Playoff. While Sarkisian and the Texas organization will dive into the transfer portal to build a roster capable of standing tall after navigating a nine-game SEC schedule, nobody can question whether or not the Longhorns have a championship-caliber quarterback.

Texas will enter 2026 with a quarterback who has a legitimate case to be labeled as college football’s top gunslinger.


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DLPilot Freshman

DLPilot

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Arch has really come on as year has gone by.  Sark still gets stubborn with RPO plays.  If you review the year that has been where Arch has struggled the most and the ball is deflected.

 

nicray0920 Redshirt

nicray0920

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Arch and Clark plus a very surprising back up defense just showed the depth of what Texas has. You think the expectations for Arch were big this yea? Wait till August 2026! Hook Em everyone! Happy New Year!

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Jordan91 Lifetime Longhorn

Jordan91

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Not a berth in the CFP. They need to be playing for it all. I can’t think of a better time. Simmons and Manning could literally be 1-2 in the draft. It’s time for the final step. 

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Jeff Howe Lifetime Longhorn

Jeff Howe

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1 hour ago, DLPilot said:

Arch has really come on as year has gone by.  Sark still gets stubborn with RPO plays.  If you review the year that has been where Arch has struggled the most and the ball is deflected.

 

It's still interesting that he's much better when it's a dropback game and he can scan the field and deliver the ball. He's gotten better on RPO's and setting guys up for YAC situations as the season has gone on, but that's an area where he can get better in '26.

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Jeff Howe Lifetime Longhorn

Jeff Howe

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1 hour ago, Hobbs02 said:

Mr. Manning has some wheels that's for sure

Maybe Sark really wasn't BS'ing us about Arch getting clocked at 20-plus MPH a few years ago.

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