"We’ve set a standard around here": Steve Sarkisian minces no words about Arch Manning getting incessantly booed by fans

Arch Manning had a terrible outing in Week 3 against the UTEP Miners even though the Texas Longhorns won the game 27-10. It was all the Texas defense that saved the matchup when the offense struggled to run the ball deep into enemy territory.

By the end of the first half, the Texas crowd incessantly booed at Arch Manning over his inaccurate passes and inability to use the footwork to his advantage. He only managed to complete 11 passes of his 25 attempts and scored a single touchdown while also throwing for an interception.

On Tuesday, head coach Steve Sarkisian was asked about the Texas crowd’s boos and how Manning took it when he went back to the locker room.

Sark had a diplomatic response and said that the QB was well aware of the scenario and deserved to receive the ire of fans in the home stadium.

“We’ve set a standard around here of the way we play football, and there’s an expectation from our fans about the way we play football,” Sarkisian said to the reporters on Tuesday. “It’s fast, it’s physical, it’s tough, it’s smart, it’s exciting. And, at times, we didn’t play that way this weekend. I think, at the end of the day, they’re spending money, they’re coming to games, they’re sitting in the heat — they want to make sure we give them a reason to be there.

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Coach Sark also emphasized the importance of fans in a football game and what prominence they hold when it comes to the home stadium.

“That’s not the only reason we’re all there. We’re obviously there for, as a team, our own goals, our own aspirations, and what we’re not only trying to do on that Saturday, but for the duration of this season. "But, also, man, our fans offer so much support to us that, clearly, if they were booing about the way we were playing, just imagine how we were feeling about the way we were playing at some of that juncture in the first half,” he added.

Arch Mannan & Co. has a touch schedule to navigate in 2025

After the UTEP win, the Longhorns will face Sam Houston this coming weekend. Similarly, the Florida Gators, Oklahoma Sooners and Kentucky Wildcats are other opponents in consecutive weeks. The second half of the season is expected to be even more challenging for the team.

The Longhorns will face Vanderbilt in Week 9 and the Georgia Bulldogs in Week 10. And finally, with a game against Texas A&M, Texas will officially wrap up their season.

In order to make the playoffs, at least 10+ wins are necessary which means each and every game going forward will be crucial for Texas to keep their aspirations alive.

Edited by Deepesh Nair