Arch Manning threw for 201 yards and led No. 1 Texas to a 20-17 win at No. 14 Tennessee, but his Heisman Trophy chances took a hit anyway. The senior quarterback was sacked six times, threw an interception and was flagged twice for crossing the line of scrimmage early, and his odds dropped sharply even as the Longhorns won.
Manning’s Numbers Against Tennessee
At Neyland Stadium, where an announced crowd of 101,915 watched, Manning completed 14 of 19 passes. His finest play arrived early, connecting with Jermaine Bishop Jr. on a 29-yard pass during the first quarter. Manning was also 5-for-5 on the two touchdown drives belonging to the Longhorns.
But the negatives piled up. He was sacked six times and threw an interception on a deep pass that went inside the Tennessee 5-yard line. He was also penalized twice for throwing the ball after crossing the line of scrimmage.
Sarkisian Explains the Penalties
After the game, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian attempted to explain the flags.
“The first one, I think he thought he was getting it off before the line to gain,” Sarkisian said. “I actually think on the second one, we were in a third-and-12, and I think he was operating off the first-and-10 marker, not the stripe that was actually where we were. I guess it can happen that way.”
Manning later confirmed Sarkisian’s reading and added, “That was on me.”
How the Heisman Odds Moved
This week, DraftKings had Manning with the fourth-best odds at +1,400, but by late Saturday afternoon, his odds had fallen to No. 11 at +3000.
For the season, Manning has thrown for 862 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 63.5% of his passes. He has also rushed 32 times for 82 yards.
What’s Next for Texas
Texas has not lost yet, standing at 4-0, 1-0. The team gets a bye on next week’s slate and will play again on Oct. 10, taking part in its yearly matchup against Oklahoma in Dallas.
It is improbable that Texas will fall from the top spot in the Associated Press poll when it is released on Sunday.
Schedule at a Glance
| Date | Game |
|---|---|
| Next week | Bye |
| Oct. 10 | vs. Oklahoma |
Texas stayed at the top of the polls after beating Tennessee, while Manning’s game was a mixed bag — good enough to win, bad enough to cost him votes.
Source material: “Texas football: Arch Manning gets the win at Tennessee while Heisman hopes sink,” Yahoo Sports.
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