AUSTIN, Texas — Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said the third-quarter touchdown pass to Cam Coleman was Arch Manning’s best throw of Saturday’s 59-7 win over Texas State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Manning finished 20 of 27 for 305 yards with 4 touchdowns and 1 interception. The four touchdown passes matched a career high, and he hit eight different receivers. His six possessions produced five touchdowns and the interception. The 20-yard score to Coleman came with 12:46 left in the third quarter, on a play where Texas State was flagged for roughing the passer.
Sarkisian said the pass was a skinny post thrown while a defender was arriving in Manning’s face, and that Coleman knew he was going to get hit when he caught it.
“I mean, that was his best throw of the day, in my opinion,” Sarkisian said. “To make that throw on a skinny post with a guy getting a roughing the passer in your face. It was a heck of a catch, too, for a receiver knowing I’m probably going to get hit here. You don’t get to double catch that. You get one catch, and it was a really good catch by Cam, and that’s what it takes in the red area, guys making those plays.”
Sarkisian said Manning had to make a lot of those throws a year ago behind protection that was not where it needed to be.
“I don’t know how many of those throws Arch had to make today,” Sarkisian continued. “A year ago he had to make quite a few of those, where the protection wasn’t exactly the way it needed to be. I don’t want to say he’s accustomed to doing that stuff because I don’t think anybody is, but I do think he has the ability to do it. And I think that’s the toughness that he possesses that earns so much of the respect of his teammates, his ability to stand in there and deliver those balls when he knows he’s going to get hit.”
Texas converted 11 of 15 third downs and both of its fourth-down attempts. Manning hit Ryan Wingo for 21 yards on fourth-and-3 in the first quarter and Emmett Mosley V for 7 yards on fourth-and-4 in the third.
Steve Sarkisian Said Arch Manning Was Efficient Apart From A Couple Of Misreads
Manning completed a 45-yard pass to Wingo down the left sideline with 38 seconds left in the first half and a 44-yard pass to Coleman on third down to open the second half. Sarkisian said there were not a lot of long incompletions.
“Yeah, I thought he played well,” Sarkisian said. “I think early on that first half, you could see the rapport with he and Ryan. There was a definite connection happening there, which was great to see. A beautiful deep ball. I know he threw the pick later in that drive, but a beautiful deep ball to Ryan down the far sideline.”
“All in all, I thought he was really efficient,” Sarkisian added. “I thought there was a couple, like anything, he’s human. There’s a couple misreads, but geez, he’s over 300 yards, four touchdowns, and managed the game really well and was very efficient. There weren’t a bunch of long foul balls. He throws a deep ball to Cam, we complete it. He throws a deep ball to Ryan Wingo, we complete it. He gave him chances to go make plays. Obviously, when you convert like that on third down, the quarterback’s playing at a high level. So it was a good first outing for him.”
The Interception Came On A Double Move To Emmett Mosley V
The interception came on third-and-goal from the Texas State 11 with 6 seconds left in the first half. Ryan Nolan picked it off in the end zone.
Sarkisian said Texas had a double move called for Mosley and that Texas State did not guard the first move.
“It was a little unfortunate on the pick,” Sarkisian said. “We had kind of a double move with Emmett on. They didn’t really guard the first move. And so I think Arch was, there’s a little feel in there. It was almost like just turn around, let me throw it to you. By the time Emmett double moves, Arch has been staring at him, the backside safety gets the pick. So something to learn from on the play.”
Manning said the play was a nod concept and he double clutched. Texas led 28-7 at halftime.
Manning was 248 of 404 for 3,163 yards with 26 touchdowns and 7 interceptions last season, his first as the full-time starter. He is 13-3 as a starter. On Aug. 24, Sarkisian said Manning had a great fall camp after January foot surgery limited him during the spring.
Texas hosts No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC. Manning threw for 170 yards in the 14-7 loss at Ohio State on Aug. 30, 2025.
