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    Jeff Howe
    AUSTIN, Texas — More than two weeks ago, after a forgettable offensive showing in a 27-24 loss to Florida, Steve Sarkisian sat down with Arch Manning to discuss whether Texas would turn to KJ Lacey if QB1 couldn’t right the ship.
    On Monday, two days after Manning's three touchdown passes highlighted a 16-for-20, 220-yard performance in a 31-3 rout of Mississippi State, Sarkisian gave Manning a ringing endorsement.
    While answering a question about the offensive line during his weekly news conference, Sarkisian expressed the utmost confidence in Manning ahead of the 10th-ranked Longhorns’ trip to No. 19 Missouri on Saturday (11 a.m., ABC).
    “Honestly, I've never felt better about Arch Manning than I do this week,” Sarkisian said. “This guy is ready. He's a warrior. He's tough. His competitive spirit is extremely high. I thought he willed us to play football on the offensive side last week. That's what a quarterback does.
    “What a difference a few weeks make.”
    Whether Manning’s arrow is pointing upward after Texas (6-2, 3-2 SEC) faces a Tiger defense that ranks 16th nationally against the run (98.3 yards per game and 2.94 yards per carry allowed), 23rd in scoring defense (18.4 points per game allowed) and 37th in total defense (325.1 yards per game and 4.82 yards per play allowed) remains to be seen. Nevertheless, along with Missouri (6-2, 3-2) entering the game with a pass defense that’s tied for 92nd in FBS (226.9 yards per game allowed), the chances are favorable for Manning to build two winning performances because Sarkisian’s confidence could be rooted in the fact that he’s found a formula for success behind center that the Longhorns can replicate.
    The formula involves three things:
    — Making the quick game and screens the focal point of the passing attack
    After the win over the Bulldogs, 35 of Manning’s 48 pass attempts in his last two games were behind the line of scrimmage or short (0-9 yards downfield) based on Pro Football Focus’ four charted passing depths. Manning completed 28 attempts (72.9 percent of his charted-depth attempts) from those depths for 257 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
    Manning is 13-for-13 for 66 yards during the two-game winning streak. Short throws are more than just screens; hitches, slants, stop routes and underneath targets to running backs and tight ends force Manning to get the ball out quickly.
    A lot has been made about Manning holding onto the ball too long and rightfully so. According to PFF, Manning’s average time to throw this season is 2.99 seconds. Among 187 FBS quarterbacks who’ve recorded at least 50 dropbacks this season, Manning’s time is tied for the 34th-longest in the country.
    Holding onto the ball too long compounds Texas’ pass protection issues. Manning’s pressure-to-sack rate of 27.8 percent is pacing well ahead of his 2025 ratio (13.3 percent) and is on track to be the highest pressure-to-sack rate for a Longhorn starting quarterback since Shane Buechele in 2016 (31.3 percent).
    It should come as no surprise then that Manning is effective and efficient when he gets rid of the ball in under 2.5 seconds. According to PFF, Manning gets the job done at a high level when the ball is out of his hands in less than 2.5 seconds (it only happens on 39.4 percent of his dropbacks, which is tied for 150th among the 187 qualifying FBS quarterbacks); he’s completing 72.8 percent of his passes (75-for-103) for 681 yards, with nine touchdowns (tied for 18th in FBS) and one interception.
    The quick game works. If Sarkisian continues to lean into it, it could morph into an offensive fulcrum.
    — Limiting throws beyond 10 yards downfield to schemed-up deep shots
    According to PFF, Manning has only attempted four intermediate (10-19 yards) throws in the last two games (3-for-4, 46 yards and a touchdown), accounting for 8.3 percent of his attempts to a charted depth. That pales in comparison to the first six games of the season, when 23.8 percent of his charted-depth throws were in the intermediate game.
    Given the offense’s pass protection struggles and Manning’s sack avoidance (or lack thereof), Sarkisian might've decided the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.
    When Manning holds the ball for 2.5 seconds or longer, which has happened on 60.6 percent of his dropbacks, the results have been disastrous. According to PFF, Manning's completion percentage plummets to 57.5 percent in those situations; his six interceptions are tied for the fourth-most in FBS and he's been sacked 22 times (only four FBS quarterbacks have been sacked more times when holding onto the ball that long).
    Still, the Texas offense needs explosive plays. Sarkisian has settled on crafting carefully dialed-up deep shots to get the job done.
    Manning has thrown nine deep balls (20 yards or more downfield) in the last two weeks, accounting for 18.8 percent of his total attempts to specific depths. Two of Manning’s three completions on deep balls against Ole Miss and Mississippi State went for touchdowns (a 50-yarder to Ryan Wingo against the Rebels and a 42-yarder to Emmett Mosley V against the Bulldogs); overall, he’s 3-for-9 on deep shots for 129 yards, with only one of his deep throws getting intercepted (three interceptions on deep throws through the first six games).
    — Leaning on Manning’s legs as a weapon in the running game
    Sarkisian has been hesitant to rely on designed runs for Manning. Nevertheless, the numbers suggest he’s accepted that those plays are one of the most effective ways the Longhorns can move the ball.
    After Manning recorded six rushing attempts on designed runs through the first six games (according to PFF), he’s carried the ball nine times on such plays in the last two weeks. Those nine carries have netted Texas 31 yards and resulted in four first downs, with two of them going for touchdowns (both against Ole Miss).
    Manning also seems more sure of himself when scrambling. While his 24 scrambles through the first six games saw him gain yards that were effectively empty calories (positive yards well short of the line to gain on third down, for instance), Manning’s four scrambles in the last two games have helped the offense move the chains.
    Manning’s lone scramble for 19 yards in the win over Ole Miss came on third-and-17, two plays before his second-quarter touchdown pass to Wingo. Two of Manning’s three scrambles in the win over Mississippi State moved the chains, including a 10-yard scramble on third-and-9 en route to a second-quarter field goal by Gianni Spetic.
    Manning's 2026 season hasn't played out the way anybody hoped. Still, if the current formula can be replicated and Manning continues to grow, the Longhorns have a realistic path to reach the College Football Playoff.
    Jeff Howe
    AUSTIN, Texas — Matas Vokietaitis’ game-high 22 points led five players in double figures as No. 7 Texas 109-59 cruised to a season-opening win over Chicago State at Moody Center on Monday.
    There were signs of the Longhorns fulfilling Sean Miller’s desire to play a better brand of defense in his second season on the Forty Acres. Texas (1-0) forced 15 turnovers, recorded eight steals and blocked six shots, four of which came from Marcus Spears Jr.
    The highly-touted freshman scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds off the bench in his collegiate debut. Spears headlined a productive opening night for the Longhorn freshmen.
    Austin Goosby (seven points, seven rebounds and eight assists) got the start alongside Vokietaitis, Isaiah Johnson (18 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals), Elyjah Freeman (five points and four rebounds) and David Punch (nine points, three rebounds and three assists). Joe Sterling scored 14 points (4-for-6 3-pointers) off the bench and Bo Ogden (eight points, two rebounds and two steals) played well in 14 minutes.
    Jeff Howe
    Maraad Watson’s 61-yard scoop-and-score was the play of the game in No. 11 Texas’ 31-3 rout of Mississippi State on Saturday.
    But what Rasheem Biles did on that play encapsulated one of the most impressive individual defensive performances of the Steve Sarkisian era.
    Inside the last 90 seconds of the first half, Biles sacked AJ Swann on second-and-10. The hit knocked the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback out of the game. The loose ball bounced sharply off the DKR turf into Watson’s hands, adding insult to injury.
    Biles wasn’t done. He led the convoy that guided Watson down the visiting sideline and into the end zone, delivering a block that helped the Longhorns swing the momentum for good.
    Biles finished with eight tackles, three sacks, four tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Will Muschamp deserves credit for weaponizing Biles in the defense’s two full games without Colin Simmons, but Biles executed the plan well enough to top his performance in last Saturday’s win over Ole Miss.
    ***
    Biles also helped Texas (6-2, 3-2 SEC) hold Mississippi State (4-4, 2-4 SEC) to a field goal after Arch Manning’s third-quarter fumble gave the Bulldogs the ball at the 28-yard line. Biles sniffed out an end-around to Anthony Evans III, stopping Mississippi State’s outstanding wide receiver for a 15-yard loss after Evans threw the ball out of bounds.
    ***
    The Longhorns sacked Swann and Billy Puckett a combined seven times. With its second game in SEC play with seven or more sacks (Texas had 10 in the conference opener against Tennessee), 21 of the defense’s 26 sacks this season have come in league play.
    ***
    Muschamp seemed to adjust after Swann got into a rhythm early with an 8-for-8 start, playing tighter coverage and dialing up the pressure on the quarterback. The threat of the vertical passing game went away when Puckett entered the game, allowing the Longhorns to tee off on the Bulldogs.
    The lost yardage on sacks contributed to Mississippi State finishing the game with 68 yards rushing, its second-lowest total of the season. Saturday’s effort against the run was the best of the season by the Texas defense, while the 1.7 yards per carry the Longhorns held the Bulldogs to was topped only by the 1.6 yards per attempt Texas held the Volunteers to on Sept. 26.
    ***
    We’ll see what (if anything) Sarkisian says about injuries after the game. Texas saw Cam Coleman, Hollywood Smothers, Kade Phillips and Graceson Littleton leave the field throughout the night.
    ***
    Mississippi State’s five sacks and eight tackles for loss established new season highs. Zach Arnett followed the plan that a lot of defensive coordinators have successfully deployed against the Longhorns, using late movement to cross up Texas’ blocking schemes and protections and throwing multiple pressures at Manning.
    Until the Longhorns can do a better job of picking up games, pressures and stunts, Manning can do a better job of determining where the ball needs to go and Sarkisian can make sure he’s got built-in hot routes and safety valves to help Manning get rid of the ball, Texas will continue to see pre-snap movement and face pressure from all directions.
    ***
    The Longhorns couldn’t get the traditional running game going. Even when taking out the lost yardage on sacks, Texas ended the game with 93 rushing yards (3.4 yards per attempt).
    ***
    Along with the offensive line’s forgettable performance, I thought Sarkisian got away from the things that worked against Ole Miss, namely the quick game and working the perimeter with screens.
    Clunky might be the best way to describe the offense on Saturday. Manning lost a fumble on the first drive of the third quarter for the second consecutive game and the Longhorns had five three-and-outs after finishing last week’s win over the Rebels with three.
    The whole operation wasn't right for large chunks of the game.
    ***
    Mac Chiumento’s average of 38.2 yards per punt won’t cut it in closer games against better competition. The punt team has left a lot to be desired, a problem that becomes more glaring when the offense sputters.
    ***
    Texas controlled the game from the jump. Saturday’s performance wasn’t good enough to beat Missouri or LSU, but at least the Longhorns took care of business.
    They can look forward to the first of three season-defining road games in November with a win in tow.
    Jeff Howe
    AUSTIN, Texas — It's fair to call Steve Sarkisian’s matchup against the opposing defensive coordinator the top in-game battle to watch in every Texas game.
    However, it's crucial that Sarkisian wins his battle against Mississippi State on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ESPN). Not just to help the 11th-ranked Longhorns build on what went right in last Saturday’s 34-27 win over Ole Miss, but to set the tone for November.
    “Zach Arnett is a guy who I have a ton of respect for as a defensive coordinator,” said Sarkisian, whose historic Alabama offense averaged 6.8 yards per play and racked up 499 yards in a 41-0 rout of the Bulldogs in 2020, Arnett’s first season as Mike Leach’s defensive coordinator. “They pose a ton of threats with the multitude of defenses that they throw at you and the athleticism that they play with.”
    No. 11 Texas (5-2, 2-2 SEC) will be on the road for three of its final four regular-season games, including back-to-back trips to No. 23 Missouri and No. 15 LSU. While the Bulldogs appear to be dead in the water with injured quarterback Kamario Taylor ruled out for the rest of the season, the Longhorns haven’t played well enough to overlook anyone left on their schedule.
    That’s especially true on offense.
    It’s good that the win over the Rebels saw Texas set season highs against a Power Four opponent in points, total offense (419 yards), rushing yards (207) and yards per carry (4.9). Now the Longhorns need to at least match their most recent performance to establish some much-needed consistency.
    Specifically, the Texas will attempt to establish the run and stick with it against a Mississippi State (4-3, 2-3 SEC) run defense that’s been solid through seven games.
    Even with Raleek Brown coming off a 157-yard performance against Ole Miss, including three of Texas’ eight rushing plays of 20 yards or more this season, the Longhorns can’t expect to plow through a Bulldog defense that’s the nation’s No. 46 unit against the run (124.8 yards per game allowed). Mississippi State is also a top-50 defense in yards per carry allowed (3.66, tied for No. 44 in FBS); rushing attempts of 10 or more yards allowed (20, tied for 14th); rushing attempts of 20 or more yards allowed (four, tied for No. 19 in the country) and rushing touchdowns allowed (five, tied for 13th).
    The challenge for a Texas offensive line coming off its most noteworthy performance of the season is keeping the offense on schedule and limiting negative plays against a defense that’s had trouble creating them. The Bulldogs are tied for 83rd in the country in tackles for loss (35 total and five per game), 91st in line yards per carry allowed (rushing yards attributed to the opposing offensive line using weighted yardage) and 124th in stuff rate (the percentage of an opponent’s rushing attempts stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage).
    With 42 carries against the Rebels (including sacks and kneel-downs), the Longhorns improved to 25-2 under Sarkisian when recording 40 or more official rushing attempts, including 14 consecutive wins in 40-carry games. It’s not a coincidence that Texas controlled the late stages of the game on the ground in its two wins over top-10 opponents (Ole Miss and a 24-23 win over then-No. 1 Ohio State on Sept. 12). The Longhorns ran the ball on 13 of their last 14 plays from scrimmage against the Rebels, ending a 6-play, 80-yard drive with a touchdown and an 8-play, 44-yard drive with a field goal.
    The best way Sarkisian can help Andre Cojoe settle in during his first career start, get Arch Manning into a rhythm, maximize the play-action deep shots he wants to dial up and keep the offense on schedule is to be patient with the running game. The Longhorns don’t need to match their production on the ground from the Ole Miss game against Mississippi State, but the rushing attack must be effective enough for Sarkisian to trust it for four quarters.
    TEXAS WIDE RECEIVERS vs. MISSISSIPPI STATE CORNERBACKS
    According to Pro Football Focus, Manning has been pressured on 80 dropbacks this season (tied for No. 35 in FBS and tied for the sixth-most in the SEC). He’s been blitzed 109 times through seven games, including 18 times on 33 dropbacks against the Rebels.
    After Florida blitzed Manning 18 times in 28 dropbacks two weeks ago, he’s been blitzed at a 59-percent rate in the last two games. Arnett has blitzed three of the seven Power Four quarterbacks the Bulldogs have faced on more than 30 percent of their dropbacks: Minnesota’s Drake Lindsey (48 percent), Missouri’s Austin Simmons (31.7 percent) and Alabama’s Keelon Russell (55.6 percent).
    Although Mississippi State’s pass defense is putrid (No. 129 in FBS, allowing 267.4 yards per game; 69 completions of 10-plus yards allowed is tied for 106th; 27 completions of 20-plus yards allowed is tied for 117th), the Bulldogs have one of the SEC’s top cornerback tandems in Jett Jefferson and Kelley Jones, who rank first and fifth in the conference in passes defended, with nine and seven, respectively. If Arnett feels Mississippi State’s only chance to survive is to do what the Gators did and get to Manning before he can get rid of the football, the Texas wide receivers must win one-on-one battles, especially when the Bulldogs are in man coverage.
    According to PFF, Jefferson and Jones only play a quarter of their snaps in man coverage. While nine targets against Jones in man coverage have resulted in only four completions and 47 yards, four of the seven catches Jefferson has allowed in man coverage have been touchdowns.
    JELANI McDONALD vs. FLUFF BOTHWELL
    After injury limited him to one carry in Mississippi State’s 56-23 loss to Alabama on Oct. 3 and forced him to miss the team’s 31-0 road loss to LSU on Oct. 17, Bothwell returned to action and recorded his fourth 100-yard game of the season (111 yards on 17 carries) in a 23-15 loss to Oklahoma last Saturday.
    Jeff Lebby’s Veer-and-Shoot offense naturally creates vertical seams in the running game and a lot of one-on-one opportunities for running backs to win against opposing safeties. That puts the spotlight on McDonald to keep Bothwell from getting loose, which he can do if he builds on last week’s 12-tackle performance, with an interception and a pass breakup.
    McDonald had a career-high 14 tackles in last season’s win in Starkville. He should be in line for another double-digit tackle game, especially if Will Muschamp continues to line him up as the middle safety in a three-high shell. The Longhorns utilized their three-safety look on roughly one-third of their snaps against Ole Miss, a defensive structure that only works if McDonald properly diagnoses what the offense is doing, primarily when it comes to fitting the run properly.
    Since the Bulldogs love to crank up the tempo offensively, McDonald getting lined up quickly and dissecting what’s happening in front of him at a breakneck pace will be a battle in and of itself. Then, McDonald will try his hand at wrapping up Bothwell, who ranks seventh in the SEC in yards after contact (382 total yards and 4.2 yards per attempt) and eighth in missed tackles forced (25).
    CJ Vogel
    Depth on Display for the Texas Defense this Weekend?
    ***
    Texas is set to host Mississippi State on Saturday without their starting quarterback Kamario Taylor.
    The Bulldog offense was quite literally limping into the game this week to begin with, but now with Taylor officially sidelined, it feels like a significantly tall task to find a way to put points on the board against this Texas defense.
    Las Vegas tends to agree with me as well. The line at the moment sits with the Longhorns favored by 21-points, the largest point spread of the season vs. a P4 team for Texas. 
    If – and I understand this is a big if – Texas is able to take care of business offensively, it is likely the need to play the core group of starters the entire game won't be there for 60 full minutes. 
    On Thursday morning, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian was asked about the depth of a few positions, with the underlying question of are the second and third stringers closer to the field this deep into the season?
    Starting in the secondary, Sarkisian says he there are some guys to watch.
    "I think naturally, you know, getting Kobe (Black) back healthy, 100 healthy is going to be big for us," Sarkisian said. "I think Jonah (Williams) has been making strides. I think Toray Davis has been making strides for us there. All those guys kind of in that in that circle. I think Smoke Matthews is a guy that's continuing to grow, and he's found a more of a niche on special teams.
    Sarkisian added that Texas is getting a healthier version of Xavier Filsaime each week in practice as well. Filsaime has not logged a snap in 2026 despite playing in ten games a year ago with two starts
    At linebacker, Texas is coming off of a game against Ole Miss where Rasheem Biles and Justin Cryer played 100% of snaps. All 85 defensive snaps for the Longhorns had Biles and Cryer on the field.
    "Naturally in most defenses really good linebackers stay on the field. If we get to a point to where we can rotate some of those guy. we will do so," Sarkisian said. "Obviously, the temperatures have dropped. We're not playing at 105 degrees out there anymore. It's a little more you know 70–75º degrees and that should allow us to play 10 to 12 more snaps and feel confident in doing so."
    Additonally, Sarkisian mentioned Brad Spence was getting more time at edge this week alongside Lance Jackson, Zina Umeozulu, Colton Vasek and the rest of LaAllen Clark's room.
    I think that speaks to Texas planning for life without Colin Simmons for another week at the very least.
    Additionally, Sarkisian said Thursday that he expects to get freshman edge Richard Wesley back on the field in "the next couple of weeks."
    But when it comes to the depth and some of those twos and threes that have yet to see a ton of time this year, this is a great opportunity on Saturday to keep the workload light for the starting defense and stack much needed depth for the remainder of the 2026 season, plus whatever postseason comes as a result.
    "Sometimes the games dictate when we can roll guys in there more," Sarkisian said. "We haven't had that luxury. We've been in so many tight games this year, but we're going to have to find a way and a time to get some of these guys in there."
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