Texas Longhorns, Arch Manning win uninspiring home contest versus UTEP – leaving several questions unanswered
Despite the win, there are still a lot of concerns for the Longhorns moving into Week 4.
No. 7 Texas (2-1) got the win over UTEP Saturday but it wasn’t pretty. A 27-10 victory doesn’t give Longhorns fans a ton of confidence after Arch Manning continued to struggle, the offensive line looked lost at times, and the run game was nonexistent.
On paper, it looked good for Texas. You have 340 total yards, run for 226 yards, and win by 17 points, but it wasn’t great for the eyes. Manning continues to take unnecessary sacks, rush through his progressions, and was off on several throws.
Manning was just 11-for-25 through the air. That’s just not going to get it done. He had a very, very bad interception and just didn’t look like the five-star, No. 1 overall prospect which was promised. But the season is still young and there’s another week to prepare for Florida.
A win is a win but the run game has to get going.
Tre Wisner coming back will help things. A lot. But, the others have to pick up the slack. Manning being your third-leading rusher is not in the cards for Steve Sarkisian and Co. You need dudes like CJ Baxter and Jerrick Gibson to pick up the slack.
And speaking of run game, the offensive line has to get it together or things are going to get bleak. You lose four starters so it’s valid you’re having issues, but it’s Week 3 and you need to have some semblance of an identity.
If Sarkisian is going to play the way he wants to play, he needs to have a run game to dictate pace and tempo down the stretch against the Southeastern Conference schedule.
One good thing is Ryan Wingo has shown up.
Just three receptions for 32 yards but it was good to see the former blue chip prospect get in the end zone. Manning has talked about how much of a connection he has with him and how well their fall camp was. But, he has been pretty nonexistent thus far through three weeks.
Now, it’s time to give the fans the return on the investment, so to speak. It’s time to start being a dude. Go out and make big catches and change the course of games.
This is one of the main positives I took away from Saturday’s win. Wingo had been pressing and was really frustrated. Maybe this touchdown against UTEP will knock the lid off the proverbial bucket and he can find something down the stretch.
Texas Longhorns News
The Texas Longhorns need two preseason All-American playmakers to stop ‘pressing’, relax, and play football
On Monday, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian didn’t flinch when asked about the lackluster play of two of his best on the roster. Ryan Wingo and Colin Simmons have gotten off to slow starts in 2025. Sarkisian thinks it is thanks in large part to “pressing”. “Sometimes, not trying so hard is the best avenue, […]
