Saturday’s Southeastern Conference showdown between No. 7 Ole Miss and No. 19 Texas in Austin carries added significance for Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, whose Hall of Fame grandfather Archie and Super Bowl-winning uncle Eli both starred for the Rebels.
Instead, questions abound about the youngest Manning’s status and recent performance as Texas’ starting signal-caller after the Longhorns struggled offensively in back-to-back conference losses to unranked Oklahoma and Florida.
In the past two weeks, Texas (4-2, 1-2 SEC) has dropped from the top spot in the Associated Press poll to 19th and clings to its fading hopes of earning a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Manning passed for just 173 yards against the Gators in a 27-24 setback on Oct. 17, with 62 of those yards coming on a desperation heave late in the fourth quarter. Texas’ last chance to tie or win the game ended with Manning’s fumble on a sack with 1:58 to play.
Much of the blame for the Longhorns’ swoon has been centered on Manning and his perceived indecisiveness. He said Monday that he hears the criticism and understands that things have to change.
“Our backs are against the wall right now and there’s no place we’d rather be,” Manning said. “I’m gonna die on the hill of ‘I’m letting it rip’.
“I haven’t put good film on tape for the last five weeks, and I’m going to be better,” Manning explained. “I’m going to be better for my teammates. I’m going to be better for myself, and I’m going to be better for my coaches.”
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said his team’s struggles go beyond Manning. He confirmed that Manning will start against the Rebels on Saturday but added that he needs to see more from his talented but tentative quarterback.
“I need to see a better version of Arch Manning,” Sarkisian said. “I need to see a better version of a lot of guys on our offensive football team right now.”
All the Manning hoopla almost overshadows that the Rebels (5-1, 3-1) are heading to Austin on a high note after a 31-3 thrashing at home against then-No. 13 Missouri on Oct. 17.
Trinidad Chambliss threw three TD passes and rushed for another score, Kewan Lacy amassed 122 rushing yards on 16 carries and Makhi Frazier added 101 rushing yards on 15 carries for Ole Miss, which scored the final 31 points in the victory.
The Rebels have won two straight games after a stunning 52-28 loss to Florida on Sept. 26. Ole Miss finished with 498 yards of offense in the win over Missouri, including 257 on the ground.
“The communication piece is going to be really important,” Ole Miss coach Pete Golding said on Monday when asked how his team can continue their recent success. “The physicality up front — we’ve got to be violent up front. We’ve got to do a really good job on the perimeter setting edges. “Texas has got elite players all over the field. We’ve got to do a really good job changing it up.”
The Longhorns and Ole Miss have played just eight times overall, with Texas holding a 6-2 all-time edge. This is their first meeting since 2013, a 44-23 win by the Rebels in Austin.