Texas cannot afford another slip-up, and Steve Sarkisian knows the offense must find answers after back-to-back defeats. Still, the conversation keeps circling back to Arch Manning. His costly mistakes have intensified scrutiny ahead of the Ole Miss showdown, leaving little margin for error. But should the quarterback shoulder all the blame? A former head coach believes Texas needs to take some pressure off Manning if the Longhorns are to turn their season around.

With Ole Miss looming on the schedule, former UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel has serious concerns about the Longhorns. Asked to assess the high-stakes showdown during a conversation with Aaron Taylor, Brian “BJ” Jones, and Brian Kelly, Neuheisel pointed straight to Steve Sarkisian’s offense, putting the spotlight on a unit that could make or break Texas’ chances.

“I’m concerned for Texas in this game not because I don’t think they’ll play hard and be geared up to play their best game of the season, but I feel like because of all the pressure on Arch, they’re going to condense. And condensing will not be the answer to going against a Pete Golding defense, which, as you just pointed out, is much improved,”said Neuheisel

The team might adopt a simpler offensive approach rather than relying on complicated, high-risk, high-reward plays. Texas could streamline its offense by cutting complex passing concepts, using shorter routes and quicker releases, reducing formation variations, and limiting Manning’s pre-snap responsibilities.

However, while this approach might seem safer and more conservative, Neuheisel believes it won’t be that easy for the Longhorns.

“I think they’re going to try to, and I mean, he only threw 20 times last week. I’m taking Ole Miss. I’m taking Trinidad until somebody tells me otherwise,” Neuheisel concluded.

Sarkisian must avoid repeating the mistakes of the last two games. He needs to make the offense more dynamic and give Arch Manning enough room to make better decisions. Against Florida, Texas managed just 272 total yards, including 99 rushing yards, and converted only two third downs. Ryan Niblett’s 63-yard punt-return touchdown accounted for seven of their 24 points, leaving the offense with just 17.

Texas’ offensive woes are also evident in its rankings: 103rd in explosive-play rate, 104th in yards per play and 64th in scoring offense. Manning fares little better, ranking ninth in SEC passer rating and 11th in passing yards per game.

The bigger concern? Texas has scored more than three touchdowns in just one of its six games while averaging a meager 135 rushing yards per contest. Manning’s struggles have also been compounded by declining protection, with Pro Football Focus recording a 41.8% pressure rate over his last three games, up sharply from 25.4% in his first three outings.

The pressure on Arch Manning is mounting, but his own mistakes have also added to Texas’ offensive woes. He threw two fourth-quarter interceptions, including a pick-six, against Oklahoma on October 10 before fumbling after a sack on Texas’ final drive against Florida.

Across his last three games, including the win over Tennessee, Manning has recorded four touchdowns and four turnovers.

The Longhorns must bring new tactics into their Ole Miss clash, as Pete Golding has already identified their weaknesses and will be ready to exploit them.

“We’ve got to stay ahead of the chains on defense, and that’s creating negative-yardage plays early and putting them in obvious passing downs so that we can protect certain guys and call certain things for certain players to be able to take them out of the game. So I think that’s been part of it as well,” said Pete Golding on October 20 in a press conference when asked about blistering defense against Texas.

“The last couple of games for them, on base downs, they’ve not been able to get that thing going to set up his play-action game and the passing game that he’s always been so good at. So that’s gap integrity up front.”

The Longhorns have already suffered two losses, and another defeat could derail their playoff hopes. They must hold their nerve under pressure and give Arch Manning enough time and space to make plays. But will they take Neuheisel’s advice?

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