Pete Golding isn’t buying the growing narrative that Texas quarterback Arch Manning isn’t an elite player.
Not after two consecutive losses. Not after the turnovers, missed opportunities and inconsistent performances that have left many questioning whether Manning has lived up to his considerable hype.
In fact, the Ole Miss coach thinks the criticism has gotten a little out of hand.
“The conception that he’s not an elite player right now is crazy to me,” Golding said Monday. “You can go watch, and I’ll get you a 25-play cut-up where he should be the top pick in the draft. And then there are other things that, up to this point, he’d probably like to have back, too.”
That’s quite an endorsement for a quarterback whose recent performances have prompted questions about whether he should even remain the starter at Texas.
Manning has struggled during the Longhorns’ current two-game losing streak, beginning with their 27-24 loss to Oklahoma on Oct. 10 where he nearly single-handedly handed the Sooners the win. He finished that game with 260 passing yards and three touchdowns, but also threw two costly fourth-quarter interceptions.
Things didn’t improve much against Florida on Saturday.
Manning completed 14 of 20 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown, but was sacked five times and lost a fumble on Texas’ final possession in another 27-24 defeat.
The Longhorns managed just 272 yards of total offense against a Florida defense that Ole Miss had torched for 52 points only three weeks earlier.
For the season, Manning has completed 63.9% of his passes for 1,295 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. Those aren’t necessarily terrible numbers, but they aren’t exactly what many expected from a quarterback who entered the year with enormous expectations.
Texas has fallen from No. 1 in the country to No. 19, and the criticism surrounding Manning has only intensified.
Even Texas coach Steve Sarkisian acknowledged Monday that Manning needs to play better, although he reaffirmed that Manning remains the starter.
“There’s no doubt about it, Arch can play better for us, but he’s our starter,” Sarkisian said in his weekly news conference. “We need to see a better version of him this week.
“The player is in there. It’s our job to get it out of him.”
Golding, however, sees a much more dangerous quarterback than his recent performances might suggest.
“Obviously, an elite arm talent who’s been in the system a long time,” Golding said. “I think some people have shown him some different looks and taken away some first reads and been able to apply some pressure and all that.”
That’s an important distinction.
Golding isn’t suggesting Manning has played elite football every Saturday. He’s arguing that the physical ability is still there, even if the execution hasn’t consistently matched it.
And as a defensive-minded coach preparing to face him Saturday, Golding knows better than to confuse inconsistent production with an absence of talent.
“He’s got all the arm talent in the world,” Golding said. “He’s a size-speed guy. He’s much more athletic than you think. He still has the ability to extend plays.”
Golding also believes some of Texas’ offensive problems have been exaggerated by circumstances beyond Manning’s control.
He pointed to dropped passes, protection breakdowns and other mistakes that have prevented Sarkisian’s offense from finding any consistent rhythm.
“A lot of it, to me, has been bad luck, to be honest with you,” Golding said.
Of course, Ole Miss fans probably wouldn’t mind seeing Manning continue struggling for another week.
The Rebels’ defense has improved considerably since its disastrous performance against Florida, particularly when it comes to stopping the run and creating negative plays. The challenge Saturday will be extending that improvement against a quarterback who possesses the talent to make defenses pay for their mistakes.
And Golding has already identified some of the things that have bothered Manning this season: disguised coverages, pressure and taking away his first reads.
Those will be important opportunities for the Rebels to exploit.
Whether Manning is truly an elite college quarterback remains a subject of debate, and his performances this season haven’t done much to settle it.
Golding, though, seems convinced the ability is there.
The last thing Ole Miss wants is for Manning to finally put everything together Saturday and prove its coach right.
