College Football Spotlight: Arch Manning
Arch Manning (Photo via University of Texas at Austin Athletics)
By Owen Kutlu, Sports Editor
The football world got to welcome another Manning into the spotlight on Saturday. Arch Manning, nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning, took the stage in Austin, Texas for his first career college start. The Longhorns original starter, Quinn Ewers, sat out due to injury after leading Texas to a 3-0 start on the year.
The hype around Manning had been building since early in his high school career, and fans were finally about to see the culmination of what they have waited for for so long. While the University of Louisiana Monroe may not have been the toughest opponent for Arch to take on in his first battle, it would be a good test to see what he is made of.
Things started shakily for the youngster, as he threw an interception on his first possession. However, he began to settle in after that and led the Longhorns to a routine 51-3 victory. Manning threw for 258 yards, completing 15 of 29 passes, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Texas scored touchdowns on six of Manning’s ten drives before he got pulled from the game once it was a blowout in the fourth quarter.
It was not the cleanest game from the redshirt freshman, but Manning did what he needed to in order to guide the first ranked Longhorns to an easy win. Manning even said it himself, that he would grade his performance “a C-plus, but a win’s a win.” Nobody was expecting him to play a perfect game in his first real action and there were many positive signs to give fans plenty of hope for what the future has in store.
Playing against a team in which a comfortable victory was expected gave Manning and the Longhorns some chances to open up the game plan and see what he could really do. Arch played fairly aggressive, with eight of his completions being for over 15 yards, including a 56 yard dart to Isaiah Bond.
Overall, the former five-star recruit showed that he can hang at the next level and never wavered in his confidence or ability. This game is exactly what needed to be seen from the kid. Mistakes were bound to be made, but what was more important was how he responded and continued to use the weapons around him to deliver a runaway win for Texas and their fans.
It is unclear whether Manning will retain the starting role next week when Quinn Ewers returns from injury. According to Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian, that decision is still up in the air and will be made later in the week. Whether Manning gets the job or not, there will be a great deal of opportunities coming up for him in the near future.
