Arch Manning must avoid helmet-losing hits for Texas football to reach peak | Golden

No. 1 Texas football did enough and its quarterback finished up what was arguably the most turbulent public week of his young life by leading his team to a third victory. But the he was clearly in no mood postgame to expound on how things played out Saturday before over 100,000 at DKR.

The flap over his comments about an AI-edit video of coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe and his subsequent apology made national headlines, and for one of the first times in what can only be described as a charmed life, young Arch was faced with some off-the-field adversity and scrutiny that went far beyond anything he had done over the first two games.

He handled it well but by the time he left his favorite sanctuary Saturday, he wore the look of a star who knew his play didn't meet the standard he set for himself long ago.

After the 30-6 win over UTSA in the nonconference finale, QB1 strode into the conference room and gave short, monotone answers to questions about an uneven performance. He wasn't rude, but a bit surly. He's a fierce competitor but he's also 22 and coming off an experience he would rather not revisit.

On the surface, he did enough to achieve the desired result but the passing numbers - a pedestrian 17 of 33 for 161 yards and a pair of touchdowns one week after his Ohio State heroics - didn't meet with his own expectations or, on a grander scale, those of the Heisman voters who watched fellow trophy chasers Trinidad Chambliss of Ole Miss, the Miami quarterback-wideout duo of Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney and rising USC signal-caller Jayden Maiava enjoy spectacular weekends on the stat sheet.

"(I will) watch the film," he said. "Got to get better. Starts with me. Got to take what's there, get the completion and go from there."

The New York conversation will take care of itself later this fall but for now, the focus has to be on Manning 's psyche and if he can pull it together in time to meet the challenge of the No. 15 Tennessee Volunteers , a fellow 3-0 team that won by 32 Saturday over Kennesaw State.

Better yet, can he cut down on the unnecessary hits he is taking with so much season remaining?

Manning's grandfather Archie was the featured guest at the annual Dan Jenkins Medal for Excellence in Sportswriting dinner at the Headliners Club Thursday night and he was asked during the Q&A session about any advice he had given his grandson.

"Get on the ground," he said. "That's about all I tell him."

The Manning patriarch, one of the pioneers of the game's modern era, understands football was built on big men trying to truck other big men, especially the quarterback who is the head of the offensive snake 99% of the time. Well, Arch didn't get down enough in this one. He took some tough blows, notably one on a second-quarter scramble that ended with Roadrunner tacklers Darion White and Eddy Smith making a Manning sandwich while separating Arch's helmet from his head.

He was only sacked once but the UTSA front got after him. The consistent pass rush may have sped up the imaginary clock in his head and led to him leaving the pocket earlier than expected while pass patterns were still developing. He has left a protected pocket at least twice in the last couple of games.

Manning rushed for 50 yards on nine carries, but it was a hard 50. It's one thing to make those majestic long-distance, noncontact house calls like he did in blowouts of Texas A&M and Michigan last season, but it's quite another to take a pounding in what was otherwise an easy win. Coach Steve Sarkisian said his quarterback fell in love with his feet when the goal is to make more plays in the passing game and avoid the pounding that comes with too many scrambles.

"We want him to use his legs when he can but ideally, when we're in rhythm in the passing game, when the ball's coming out and we're calling things where we can get completions and he's throwing it accurately," Sarkisian said.

When I asked Manning about Sarkisian's comments, he replied, "Yeah, got to have a good week of practice."

He was a man of a few words Saturday but his actions in this next one will have to be better. The Horns have a great opportunity to open SEC play at 1-0, rest up during the bye week, then roll into Dallas full of confidence against Oklahoma - the conference's worst offense - with a chance to open a season at 4-0 for the only the second time in Sarkisian's six seasons.

There is much bigger prey to hunt down with SEC play ramping up, and a healthy Manning is going to be needed to navigate a gantlet that includes road tests against LSU , Missouri and Texas A&M and a home game against surging Ole Miss, which exacted some revenge against prodigal son Lane Kiffin and the Bayou Bengals Saturday.

It all starts with Manning. His athleticism should always be a weapon, but Sarkisian wants that big arm to regain its place at the top of the physical pecking order.

The arm will determine how far the Horns go this season.