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Determined Arch Manning Vows Improvement After Texas Longhorns' Season-Opening Loss
6 Sep
Summary
- Texas Longhorns drop from No. 1 to No. 7 after losing season opener to Ohio State
- Highly touted QB Arch Manning struggles in his first collegiate road start
- Texas coach Steve Sarkisian sees room for improvement despite the loss
The No. 7 Texas Longhorns are determined to rebound from their season-opening loss as they prepare to host the San Jose State Spartans on Saturday. The Longhorns dropped six spots from the top of the preseason Associated Press poll after a 14-7 defeat at then-No. 3 Ohio State, becoming the first team since 1990 to start the season ranked first nationally and then lose their first game.
Despite outgaining the Buckeyes 336-203, Texas struggled to find the end zone, with two scoreless trips inside the Ohio State 10-yard line proving to be the deciding factor. Highly touted quarterback Arch Manning, making his first collegiate road start, went 17 of 30 for 170 yards and needed a late touchdown pass to keep the Longhorns from being shut out.
"I'm determined," Manning said. "I think this is going to motivate me to play better, and that's what we need to win. I've got to play better, got to lead more, got to get our guys to play well around me, and ultimately I wasn't good enough."
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian remains confident in his team, noting that there is plenty to build on from the Ohio State game. The Longhorns will have three consecutive home games against mid-major teams and an open week to address any issues before opening Southeastern Conference play at Florida on Oct. 4.
