COLUMBUS, Ohio – Texas‘ highly anticipated season opener ended in a 14-7 loss at Ohio State on saturday, with quarterback Arch Manning shouldering the blame for a disappointing debut and head coach steve Sarkisian defending his young signal-caller against what he called “out of control” expectations.Manning, the nephew of NFL Hall of Famers Peyton and Eli Manning and grandson of Archie Manning, completed 17 of 30 passes for 170 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The Longhorns struggled offensively, with Manning managing only 26 passing yards in the first half. he was also stopped short on a goal-line attempt in the third quarter.
“Ultimately not good enough,” Manning said after the game.”Obviously, you don’t want to start off the season 0-1, and they’re a good team, but I thought we beat ourselves a lot and that starts with me. I’ve got to play better for us to win. I think I beat myself today.”
Manning acknowledged the missed possibility on the goal line, stating, “we’ve gotta have those.And I’ve gotta make more of a push because that was a big swing in the game.”
Despite the rough start, Manning expressed hope that Saturday’s performance would prove to be his worst of the season. Sarkisian echoed that sentiment, urging patience and perspective.
“For Arch, the expectations where out of control on the outside,” Sarkisian said. “But I’d say let’s finish the book before we judge it. This is one chapter, and we’ve got a long season to go play.”
Manning declined to attribute the loss to injuries to receivers or changes on the offensive line compared to the team’s 2024 College Football Playoff roster.The Longhorns will look to rebound next week as they continue their 2024 campaign.
