Talking about Arch Manning’s fate? He simultaneously had one of the best and worst nights in their face-off against Mississippi State. Steve Sarkisian’s quarterback was named one of eight Manning Award “Stars of the Week.” He completed a career-high 29 passes on 46 attempts (63.0%) for a career-high 346 yards and three touchdowns. But Manning could not enjoy the limelight till the end, as he took a hit. And now Sarkisian will have to count on his quarterback. Does he seem confident? 100%.

On October 27, analyst Cory Mose posted a clip of Sarkisian’s latest interview. Now that Troy-transfer quarterback Matthew Caldwell will be at the driver’s wheel, the head coach seemed to have moved on just fine. Even if he is, Sarkisian hid his feelings well. “Matt, he’s a very even-keeled guy. I thought he had a great practice today. I think, you know, the players have a lot of confidence in him. I think it’s his maturity, his approach,” said the head coach.

It was a tale of two halves for Manning. The quarterback had his best night and provided a spark for the team. He led Texas back from a 17-point fourth-quarter hole to a 45-38 overtime win at Mississippi State, its biggest comeback in 20 years. Ryan Niblett’s 79-yard punt return brought life back to the stands, tying it 38-38. Yet just as overtime began, Manning went down as he took a brutal hit on a 13-yard scramble, ending his night.

From there, Caldwell took up the mantle and explained why Sarkisian would have a problem moving forward. Manning’s backup delivered the dagger, a 10-yard touchdown to Emmett Mosley V for the win. Now you know what made Sarkisian move on from Manning so fast. As the head coach kept showering praise, “He’s very engaged even when he doesn’t play. If you ever watched our sidelines in-game, 18 is probably the most engaged player on that sidelines. He’s always picking guys up, offense, defense, special teams.” Does that imply Texas would be in good hands without Manning?

In limited time this season, Caldwell has gone 8 for 11 with a touchdown and no interceptions. Well, he doesn’t have Manning’s athletic flair, yet his knack for keeping plays alive might be what the offense needs this weekend. His stat lines weren’t flashy at Troy, but his late-season command spoke volumes. Last season, against Louisiana, Manning’s backup came up with 26 of 42 passes for 230 yards and four touchdowns, even though they lost the match. 

Caldwell has seen action in five games this season behind Manning and handled all the first-team reps on Monday as the five-star freshman recovers. Now that the Caldwell hype is so intense, what about Manning’s recovery status?

Arch Manning hits yet another humiliating record

It was as if Manning could not handle carrying the last name. In Sarkisian’s squad, the quarterback is exposed to more challenging situations than his predecessor, Quinn Ewers. Texas fans must be concerned about Manning’s latest hit. And as per the latest update, the panic button’s been hit in the Longhorns camp. As Nash Talk Texas reported a three-day ultimatum, “Here is the concussion protocol checklist that Arch Manning needs to clear, it’s a 6 step checklist that typically takes a day to clear each step If symptoms return, he must revert to the previous step He would need to have a non-contact practice by Thursday at the latest.”

For Manning, Step 1 will be symptom-limited activities of daily living. Step 2 involves the quarterback in aerobic exercise combined with light resistance training, and it continues, with the sole focus on zero contact. 

Not a good time, physically or mentally, for Manning. Other than hitting a record for being hit 60 times, here comes another disappointing record. Virginia Tech Hokies writer, Doug Bowman, posted on X, “Breaking News: Kyron Drones is no longer the most pressured quarterback in America. Congrats to Arch Manning and Nico Iamaleava (115 pressured dropbacks) on this prestigious honor. Drones fall to T-3 at 113.”

The SEC’s big, poor defenses are struggling with Texas’s patchwork offensive line. Arch Manning’s been under fire on nearly 41% of his drop-backs, worse than anyone in the SEC. And when the Longhorns try to run? They get hit before they see daylight, ranking outside the top 100 yards before contact.

So, another stretch on the bench could steal Manning’s shot to change the story and shine again under the lights.