‘Not Playing Good Offensive Football,’ ‘Everything Is Going to Be Evaluated’ — Steve Sarkisian Won’t Rule Out Replacing Arch Manning as Texas Skids

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Two weeks ago, Texas was the No. 1 team in the country. Now the No. 7 Longhorns have lost two straight, the latest a 27-24 home loss to Florida on Saturday that was sealed when Arch Manning was sacked and fumbled in the final two minutes, and head coach Steve Sarkisian won’t rule out a change at quarterback.

After the game, Sarkisian was asked whether he had thought about replacing Manning. “We’re not playing good offensive football right now, so everything is going to be evaluated,” he said.

Steve Sarkisian Leaves the Door Open After Another Late Turnover

Sarkisian’s line about evaluating everything didn’t mention Manning by name. But when a follow-up asked whether the quarterback is part of the evaluation, Sarkisian made it clear that nothing is off-limits, according to CBS Austin sports director Bob Ballou.

A week earlier, Manning threw two fourth-quarter interceptions in a 27-24 loss to Oklahoma. Peyton Bowen returned the first 42 yards for a go-ahead touchdown with 10:07 left, and Courtland Guillory made the second with 19 seconds remaining and the score tied 24-24 before the Sooners won on a field goal as time expired.

Sarkisian defended his quarterback after that game, but it should be said that anytime a head coach has to ‘defend’ their quarterback, there is an issue with said signal-caller.

Saturday’s loss came against a Florida team starting backup QB Tramell Jones Jr. in place of the injured Aaron Philo, one that had arrived in Austin off back-to-back blowout losses to Missouri and South Carolina and amid their own questions.

Texas led 17-3 in the second quarter, with seven of those points coming on Ryan Niblett’s punt-return touchdown. The offense didn’t score again until Manning’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Cam Coleman with 4:21 left, and by then Florida had scored 24 straight points.

Then came the fumble. Texas got the ball back on a Florida punt with 2:32 to play.

On second down, Manning was sacked and lost the ball, and Kanye Clark recovered for Florida with 1:58 left.

That made three fourth-quarter turnovers for Manning in two games, and according to CBS Sports, the loss ended his streak of 11 home wins as a starter.

Texas went 14 of 20 for 173 yards through the air and finished with 272 total yards and 13 first downs. It converted just 2 of 10 third downs and had the ball for 21:49 to Florida’s 38:11. The Gators sacked Texas five times, another growing issue with Manning’s game.

EVERY QB, GRADED:PFN’s CFB QB Impact Rankings

Arch Manning’s Numbers Land Closer to the Middle Than the Top

Going into the Florida game, Pro Football Network’s CFB QB Impact Grade had Manning at a 78.0 QBi this season, tied with North Carolina’s Billy Edwards Jr. for 58th of 170 qualified FBS quarterbacks. That’s in the top half, but a long way from Miami’s Darian Mensah, who leads the board at 99.9.

The flashes are there for Manning, both statistically AND on tape. But so are the dips, including 195 yards on 37 attempts against Ohio State and 161 on 32 against UTSA, though Texas won both games. The worst are the lows on tape; the late throws, the awful decisions, the fact that he has the lowest EPA per dropback on throws to the right (his dominant side).

The pocket hasn’t been a comfortable place, either. Texas has allowed 17 sacks in six games, including six at Tennessee.

BEST OFFENSES, RANKED:PFN’s CFB Offense Impact Rankings

Texas’ road gets even tougher, it appears. With Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri, and LSU up next, each of their next four opponents were ranked in the top 25 to start Week 7, with the last two on the road.

Before kickoff against Florida, PFN’s College Football Playoff Meter gave Texas a 72.4% chance to make the College Football Playoff. With the loss — and the caveat here being before the rest of the slate is over — the chances for the Longhorns to make the Playoffs now stands at just 53.5%.

Whether that evaluation ends with a new starter when Ole Miss visits Austin on October 24 is the question Sarkisian left open.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

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