Arch Manning’s first full regular season as Texas football’s starting quarterback is officially in the books.
Following a game in which he had a career-high passing yards against Arkansas, the Longhorns quarterback carved up the defense of the No. 3 team in the nation, completing 14 of 19 passes for 179 yards and two combined touchdowns in a 27-17 win over Texas A&M on Friday, Nov. 28 at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas.
With the win, Manning has led a third top-15 victory for the Longhorns, also improving his record to 11-3 as the Longhorn’s starting quarterback of the last two seasons.
Manning had a rather uninspiring first half, as he completed 8 of 21 passes for just 51 yards with no touchdowns. The 6-foot-4 quarterback got Texas into field goal position just before halftime with an 11-yard dump pass to Quintrevion Wisner, but took a rather costly 8-yard sack three plays later to take the Longhorns out of field goal range.
He significantly improved his stats in the second half. A 29-yard pass to Ryan Wingo and a 35-yard rushing touchdown of his own served to be Manning’s biggest plays in the final 30 minutes.
The Nov. 28 win also raises the question of whether Texas, the No. 16 team in the latest CFP rankings, can make the playoff after a home win vs. No. 3 Texas A&M. The Longhorns can’t make the SEC championship game and can’t improve their resume further to make a third CFP appearance.
Here’s a deeper look at Manning’s stats in Week 14 at home against Texas A&M:
Arch Manning stats today vs Texas A&M
Here’s a full look at Manning’s line on Nov. 28 against Texas A&M:
Completions: 14
Attempts: 29
Completion percentage: 48%
Passing yards: 179
Touchdowns: 1
Interceptions: 0
Rushing attempts: 7
Rushing yards: 53
Rushing touchdowns: 1