​AUSTIN, TX – SEPTEMBER 19: Quarterback Arch Manning #16 of the Texas Longhorns winces as he makes a shovel pass during the college football game between the Texas Longhorns and UTSA Roadrunners on September 19, 2026, at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, TX. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images AUSTIN — “Got to play better.”The clipped assessment from Texas Longhorns senior quarterback Arch Manning after the non-conference finale against the UTSA Roadrunners didn’t provide the respite anyone hoped for after a week of controversy succinctly summed up a disappointing 16-of-32 passing effort that produced 161 yards and two touchdowns.Despite leading the comeback against Ohio State, Manning is currently helming a passing offense that isn’t hitting on all cylinders with hard limits put on it by continued accuracy and processing issues for the Texas quarterback, who was up and down from play to play against the Buckeyes.With no passing plays over 24 yards in the last two-plus games and 75 total pass attempts by Manning dating back to the season opener, the high-priced aerial attack for the Horns isn’t reaching the heights imagined during the heady preseason.As a redshirt freshman, the best passing skill that Manning flashed was his ability to hit deep balls down the field, going 8-of-19 for 327 yards and four touchdowns.Sarkisian believes that defense are devoting resources to taking those plays away to force Texas to move down the field more methodically, requiring Manning to find more throws between the second and third levels of the defense.“I think the natural thing is, try not to give up explosives when you play us, so I think that we have to continually try to find those intermediate throws,” Sarkisian said.The focus defensively puts more pressure on Manning to connect on the limited deep opportunities that Sarkisian is able to scheme up, especially for junior Cam Coleman, the star addition to the wide receiver corps this offseason.Against Ohio State, an early opportunity went wanting when the Auburn transfer couldn’t keep his feet on a would-be 62-yard touchdown that instead turned into a fluke interception when Manning didn’t keep the throw flat enough on Coleman’s post route. In the second quarter of the UTSA game, lining Coleman up in the slot in 12 personnel produced one-on-one coverage with the single deep safety biting on the play-action fake. As Coleman created significant separation on his post route, Manning took a hit from a free blitzer as he released the ball, which landed 10 yards wide of Coleman.It was one of only three throws of 20-plus yards in Saturday’s game and the only one in which his receiver created separation.Especially for Coleman, separation was an overall issue going against UTSA cornerback Asaad Chapman, a 6’3, 200-pound JUCO transfer who was able to match up physically with Coleman in press coverage.Cam Coleman has slightl