Arch Manning reflects on tough start: “I wasn’t playing well”
The hotly-tipped nephew of Eli and Peyton Manning is in his first season as a starter for the Texas Longhorns and ran into problems in the early weeks.
After a tough start to the season, Arch Manning is now starting to show the quality that made the young quarterback one of the most talked-about players in college football.
Now in his first season as a the starting QB for the Texas Longhorns, Manning has been the focus of intense scrutiny throughout his young career. The nephew of two Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks - Eli and Peyton Manning - the expectations are high.
Last weekend’s 23-6 win over Oklahoma had the feeling of a statement victory for Manning as he completed 21 of his 27 passes, throwing the go-ahead touchdown on the opening drive of the second half.
In a press conference on Monday, Manning was asked how he dealt with comments from some observers calling one of the biggest flops in college football history. Manning quipped: “I didn’t know that, I guess I know now.”
“Look, I wasn’t playing well and I’m going to continue to get better. But you know, everyone has their own opinion. That’s what’s good about America, everyone gets freedom of speech. It doesn’t bother me,” he continued.
The Longhorns began the season as the No. 1 team in the country for the first time, piling the pressure on Manning who had been tipped as a Heisman Trophy candidate. After a difficult run through the first five games the Longhorns slipped out of the ranking altogether. Manning, however, is trying not to be affected by the talk around his performances.
“I feel like I try to do my best to block out the noise, and then you get 100 text messages, ‘Keep blocking out the noise,’” Manning said. “There must be a lot of noise. So yeah, I try my best.”
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