Arch Manning and Texas needed a win on Saturday: a panic-calming, potentially season-saving signature win, and that’s precisely what they got.
But don’t get the wrong idea. Manning didn’t do anything flashy or heroic to lead the Longhorns to a two-score win over archrival Oklahoma. Instead, he was a relatively mistake-free field marshal who completed 21 of 27 passes for 166 yards and the go-ahead 12-yard TD to DeAndre Moore Jr. on the opening drive of the second half.
Those numbers, especially the yardage, may look pedestrian. But they represent a crucial step in Manning’s evolution, as he chose the open mid-range options the Oklahoma defense offered him, rather than forcing the ball down the field.
Texas receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. noticed the change in his QB and the good job done by Texas’s coaches in putting him in a position to succeed.
“Arch can make every throw in the book,” Moore said. “It’s really about what the defense is giving us. They played a lot of deep coverage, and Arch took advantage of that. It was a really great game plan.”
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian’s game plan focused on taking the pressure off of Manning. Instead of looking downfield, Sarkisian focused on providing Manning with several creens and slants that would allow him to get the ball out of his hands early, trusting his receivers to gain yards after the catch.
That blend of rhythm and tempo worked for the Longhorns early on as Manning completed eight of his first nine passes.
However, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables’ eventual adjustments began making an impact as the Sooners dialed up more pressure and forced several tackles for loss, threatening to disrupt Manning’s rhythm.
However, instead of opting for the run or making other adjustments, Texas let Manning use his athleticism to elude the rush, allowing him to find open receivers for critical third-down plays.
According to CBS Sports, in the 11 third-and-long scenarios the Texas offense faced in the final three quarters, Mannning was 8-of-9 for 105 yards and had two carries for 35 yards.
Texas is a two-loss team with a hideous loss to an unranked Florida team last week that knocked them out of the Top 25. Their 23-6 win over the 6th-ranked Sooners will get them back in the Top 25.
As far as the College Football Playoff?
Don’t sleep on them. Texas has remaining games against #20 Vanderbilt, #10 Georgia, and #5 Texas A&M. That is more than enough in terms of quality wins to get the Longhorns back into the 12-team CFP bracket.
Sarkisian came up with the perfect game plan for his QB on Saturday. Now he needs to do it six more times.
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