Arch Manning started the season as one of the nation’s best college football players according to several analysts. Now, there are calls for the Texas quarterback to be benched after a string of poor and inconsistent performances.
That continued Saturday, when the visiting Florida Gators pulled an upset in Austin, beating the Longhorns 27-24. Manning drew plenty of negative reaction after he struggled again as Texas became the first AP Top-10 team since 2003 to blow a double-digit lead in two straight weeks against an unranked opponent.
He finished the game 14 of 20 passing for 173 yards and one touchdown, while also fumbling once.
Social media had a lot to say about Manning’s performance, calling into question how effective he will be moving forward, if it’s too early to call him overrated, whether or not he is truly ready for the NFL, and a host of other things.
Social Media Reacts To Arch Manning’s Concerning Performance Against Florida
Needless to say, Manning didn’t receive too many flowery comments on Saturday afternoon.
He’s not NFL ready.
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Now riding a two-game losing streak, Texas needs to right the ship in a hurry to get things back on track, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian bluntly addressed those concerns when he spoke to the media after the game. And, based on the comments made, absolutely nothing is off the table.
“We’re not playing good offensive football right now, so everything is going to be evaluated,” Sarkisian replied when he was asked about replacing Manning.
Could Manning see the bench sooner rather than later? That remains to be seen, but no longer seems far-fetched in the slightest. If Texas makes that decision, the second quarterback in line to take snaps for the Longhorns is redshirt freshman K.J. Lacey, who has seen action in just two games so far this season.
We’ll see how things play out and what offensive changes the Longhorns make when they meet the Rebels on Oct. 24. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET in Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Arch Manning Gets Blasted After Texas’ Embarrassing Loss to Florida