Last September, a rough outing against UTEP provided strong evidence that Arch Manning was not the Heisman Trophy candidate the odds makers had predicted him to be. This past Saturday, a shaky showing versus another Texas-based school from the Group of Six conferences proved that the Texas quarterback still has plenty to work on even after helping the Longhorns pull off a monumental comeback versus Ohio State.

Manning completed 17-of-33 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-6 win over UTSA. He did not throw an interception and added 50 rushing yards, but fans expected a dominant showing in this home matchup. Despite another top-notch defensive effort, the Longhorns were leading by only 17 points to begin the fourth quarter. The offense remains an enigma, which is a concerning reality to accept right as the team is beginning SEC play.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is taking accountability for the blemishes in the passing game.

“Our job is to put our players in the best position to be successful,” he told reporters on Monday, per Orangebloods.com. “Part of that is schematically…. but the other part of {it} is that they have the confidence to go execute those plays and they trust what we do in practice to make that happen.

“So, clearly, if we're not hitting those plays {when} guys are open, {whether it be} protections, missed throws, missed reads, whatever that could be, that's on us as coaches. So, when we don't execute at an elite level, I take full responsibility that we're not operating the way that I think we're capable of operating.”

Sark speaks on how Arch and the Offense can execute better: pic.twitter.com/bezkCnFbTN

— Orangebloods.com (@orangebloods_) September 21, 2026

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Sarkisian has drawn criticism for his play-calling over the last couple of seasons, and Manning has drawn criticism for not leading a cohesive offense. The 22-year-old is obviously a gifted athlete, but he needs to significantly raise his 61.9 completion percentage. Consistently making the straightforward plays is a good place to start.

Arch Manning surely gained confidence after the Longhorns' massive victory over Ohio State on Sept. 12, but he should flourish versus UTSA. Steve Sarkisian knows that his starting signal-caller will have to play better if Texas football is going to fulfill its ultimate objective. However, he believes the entire unit has to elevate.

“I felt like Arch was a microcosm of the bigger-picture Saturday night,” Sarkisian said. “We just got lethargic. We scored 17 points, I think we thought we were just going to go up and down the field like the scrimmage. And credit to UTSA. They battled, they created a little pressure. We weren't quite as in sync as we wanted to be. Arch would tell you the same thing. Today, it was right back to it.”

Manning and Texas will not get another tune-up game to perfect their process, so they must lock down the details during practice. The Longhorns can reinforce their No. 1 ranking in Saturday afternoon's road game versus No. 14 Tennessee.