Texas fans are anxiously waiting to hear more on the status of starting quarterback Arch Manning, who is in concussion protocol after leaving last Saturday’s win over Mississippi State during overtime.
Manning, who threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns while adding a rushing score in the 45-38 comeback victory, remains in concussion protocol as of today. However, head coach Steve Sarkisian offered an encouraging update on the former five-star recruit’s health while speaking with reporters Wednesday afternoon.
Sarkisian revealed that Manning returned to practice today after sitting out previous sessions this week. While he still must be cleared to play against No. 9 Vanderbilt this weekend, this is a welcome step forward for the signal caller.
Safety Michael Taaffe, who is dealing with a broken thumb, also returned to the field today, Sarkisian said.
Concussion puts damper on Manning’s breakout performance
Manning endured his fair share of criticism for inconsistent play earlier in the season, but the redshirt sophomore set a career-high with 346 passing yards against Mississippi State while rallying Texas from a 38-21 deficit.
Manning hit Emmett Mosley V on a 21-yard touchdown pass with 9:34 remaining to cut the margin to 10 points and later led a field goal drive to make the score 38-31. Ryan Niblett eventually sent the game to overtime with 79-yard punt return touchdown with less than two minutes remaining in regulation.
“He’s a warrior — he stood in there, he competed like he always does, and there were a couple protection breakdowns for sure in the game, which we need to clean up, but there were a couple others where he knew he was going to get hit, and he stood in the pocket and delivered a ball and delivered an accurate ball. So that was all very positive,” Sarkisian said on Monday of Manning’s performance.
Caldwell preparing if Manning can’t go
When Manning was knocked out of the game during the extra stanza, he was replaced by backup Matthew Caldwell, who hit Mosley for a 10-yard touchdown and the eventual winning score.
Caldwell hasn’t seen much time for the Longhorns this season, but as a former starter at Gardner-Webb and Troy, he has plenty of experience on his resume.
“He’s probably the most engaged player on the sideline,” Sarkisian said. “He’s got a really good relationship with the guys, throws a really good ball, and he’s a guy who has been in a variety of systems. His demeanor and approach during his visit didn’t seem like this was too big for him.”
Texas, 6-2 and ranked 20th in the AP poll, will host No. 9 Vanderbilt at noon ET Saturday on ABC.
