Earlier this season, Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian indicated that he had no plans to incorporate Arch Manning into the offense while Quinn Ewers was the starter. But it seems like he has changed his mind.
During this past weekend’s rivalry showdown with the Texas A&M Aggies, Texas brought Arch Manning into the game for a special play during the first quarter, allowing the dual-threat quarterback to use his athleticism and score a touchdown on the ground.
It was a big play for Texas, but it went against what Sarkisian said earlier in the season.
During a press conference earlier this year, Sarkisian – a former college quarterback himself – claimed that he would not be willing to bring Manning in for even one play because it might disrupt the rhythm of starting quarterback Quinn Ewers.
“When I was a starter, I never wanted the backup coming in, even for a play. I’ve got respect for the rhythm that a starting quarterback needs. So, no, that’s not something I’ve ever entertained,” Sarkisian told reporters earlier in the season.
Clearly, Sarkisian changed his mind, and it sounds like he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of continuing to play Manning for certain plays in the SEC Championship game against Georgia.
“We haven’t fully opened our playbook because as a staff we sit around and think about our roster and we think about our team and we think about what we’re good at and we think about what we can improve,” Sarkisian said according to the Houston Chronicle.
“We’re gonna run stuff Saturday that we haven’t run all year because of who were are as a team now and finding new ways to try and move the football and create issues for our opponents.”
Needless to say, this change of plans sparked a lot of reactions from fans in the comments to the story.
“Arch is 6-4, weighs 225 and can run. Ewers is probably the better passer, but Arch is a threat both to pass and to run,” one person wrote in the comments on MSN.
“I’m sure I was screaming at the TV loud enough for Sarkisian to hear me. Eewers struggled during the A&M game and should have utilized Manning a bit more. He needs the reps to develop and there were excellent opportunities during that game,” another person added.
“Sark had a ‘change of heart’ probably only after the Manning’s said play him or lose him. ANYONE would happily take Arch Manning. Frankly I am surprised he has stayed. It’s clear he can start on any of the P5 teams right now,” someone else wrote.
“Manning had three runs during the game but no passes. Sounds like he has a role in wildcat type of situations but not as full time quarterback,” another person suggested.
“Sarkisian knows that Ewers is the weak link on a juggernaut Horns team. Manning is by far the better quarterback,” another fan said.
We’ll have to see how much Manning plays going forward.
