‘I don’t think Arch cares that much’ – Steve Sarkisian dropped an interesting comment about Arch Manning playing against Tennessee
Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns will be playing the Tennessee Vols in Neyland Stadium on Saturday afternoon
A lot has been made about Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning playing against the Tennessee Vols in Neyland Stadium this upcoming Saturday.
Arch, of course, is the nephew of Vols legend Peyton Manning.
And surprisingly, it will be Arch’s first trip ever to Neyland Stadium.
“Yeah, I’ve never been (to Neyland),” said Arch in July. “So I’m excited to go for the first time. We’re all pumped up. It’s the first SEC game. That’s a great program. I spent some time with (Vols QB) George MacIntyre this offseason — he’s a really good dude. So we’re all excited.”
The storyline of Arch playing in the stadium where his uncle became a star is fun for the media and for fans, but Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian doesn’t think the redshirt junior quarterback actually cares that much about it.
“We were meeting this morning, and I just assumed he’d been to Knoxville and been to Tennessee,” said Sarkisian on Monday. “He’s never been before, so I’m sure it’s pretty [unique] for the family and for Arch to play on the field that his uncle played on. It’s all part of the journey. It’s all part of the story. And so for him, I’m sure there’s going to be a special moment in there for the family and for him. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to go play. They’ve got natural grass. It’s not turf. It’s going to be loud. So we better have great nonverbal communication ready to go.”
“I don’t think he’s thought that much about that he’s playing at Tennessee,” continued Sarkisian. “Like, it’ll be a cool moment, I’m sure, for the family. I don’t think Arch cares that much. I think he cares more about playing really good for his teammates and being connected with his team. I think that the biggest advice I can give him is the same thing I gave the team: There’s going to be 103,000 fans. We’re going to have 74 players and probably another 30 to 40 staff members. That’s pretty much all we got. But that’s plenty enough to go win. That’s all we really need. And so, being connected to his teammates, whether it’s the defense on the field, special teams, offensive linemen, we have to be there for one another. When we’re at our best, that’s how we operate when we’re on the road.”
That’s probably the best way for Arch to approach it. There will be time for reflection after the game. But there’s no need for him to get lost in the fact that he’s playing in a stadium where his family has a lot of history.
