Texas moves on to the Sam Houston State matchup looking for a massive confidence building performance for Arch Manning and the Texas offense. According to the stats, Sam Houston State could be the perfect team to play. It has one of the worst pass defenses in the country through three weeks, and now it’s the Longhorns’ turn to take advantage.
In all of those categories, Sam Houston State ranks among the bottom 20 teams in the country. The ones that are particularly important are pass efficiency, completion percentage and the explosive plays. The Texas offense is predicated on completing a high percentage of passes, getting out on the edges and letting the wide receivers and running backs make plays after the catch. They should have all the openings in the world to do that Saturday.
Now, it should be said that a great performance from the pass offense means everything is fixed. It means if they can’t get the pass game going, there is a problem that might not be fixable soon. The Texas offense needs to be able to spread the ball around, and Manning should be able to go out there without much fear or worry. That’s much easier said than done, but this is a game he can walk into and play with confidence and freedom without likely consequences.
The great news here is not only that Manning has the opening to put together a truly clean performance, but also there should be plenty of openings to get more pass catchers involved. There needs to be more connection between Manning and the pass catchers. This game gives Sarkisian plenty of openings to build that. Manning obviously will have to execute, but executing against Sam Houston State pass defense should be relatively straightforward.
This weekend will not ease anyone’s worries about the Texas offense and Manning. There will still be concerns going into the Florida game and the rest of the season. That is undeniable. This weekend is about Manning playing his game, with confidence, freedom and conviction. That is not something he’s really been able to do this year, and it should be able to happen this weekend.
If it doesn’t, I think it’s fair to hit the panic button on Manning and the Longhorns offense.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: If Texas offense, Arch Manning can’t get going against SHSU, it’s time to panic
Reporting by Tommy Bresee, Longhorns Wire / Longhorns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
