{"id":385542,"date":"2025-09-21T13:52:27","date_gmt":"2025-09-21T13:52:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/385542\/"},"modified":"2025-09-21T13:52:27","modified_gmt":"2025-09-21T13:52:27","slug":"what-a-pair-of-headphones-taught-us-about-arch-manning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/385542\/","title":{"rendered":"What a pair of headphones taught us about Arch Manning"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

To be Arch Manning<\/a> is to enter a room occupied by dozens of reporters inside the Texas football<\/a> facility and find them already gathered around an empty table where they hope you\u2019ll sit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It’s to express your hope that the interview session won\u2019t last long so you might squeeze in some quality time with your family.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n

It\u2019s to look bemused as you\u2019re questioned about the inner meaning of the headphones you wore during pregame warmups. Of course everyone picked up on the minor change to your routine. You\u2019re Arch Manning.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one even told me to wear headphones,\u201d Manning said. \u201cI just wanted to wear them today. I don\u2019t know.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns receiver Parker Livingston (13) is tackled by UTEP corner Justin Content (18) during the game at Darrell K Royal\u2013Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 13, 2025.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) is hit by UTEP linebacker Micah Davey (48) during the game at Darrell K Royal\u2013Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 13, 2025.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"The<\/p>\n

The Texas Longhorns take the field ahead of the game against UTEP at Darrell K Royal\u2013Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 13, 2025.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) dives for more yards during the game against UTEP at Darrell K Royal\u2013Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 13, 2025.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"UTEP<\/p>\n

UTEP spur Cade McConnell (12) interferes with a pass intended for Texas Longhorns receiver Ryan Wingo (1) during the game at Darrell K Royal\u2013Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 13, 2025.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) runs the ball during the game against UTEP at Darrell K Royal\u2013Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"UTEP<\/p>\n

UTEP quarterback Malachi Nelson (7) throws a pass during the game against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal\u2013Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns fans chant during the game against UTEP at Darrell K Royal\u2013Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 13, 2025.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns receiver Parker Livingston (13) celebrates a touchdown by receiver Ryan Wingo (1) during the game against UTEP at Darrell K Royal\u2013Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 13, 2025.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"UTEP<\/p>\n

UTEP quarterback Malachi Nelson (7) hands off the ball to running back Ashten Emory (1) during the game against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal\u2013Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 13, 2025.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Travis Shaw (44) tackles UTEP running back Ashten Emory (1) for a loss during the game at Darrell K Royal\u2013Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Travis Shaw (44) celebrates a tackle for a loss during the game at Darrell K Royal\u2013Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns receiver Ryan Wingo (1) misses a catch during the game at Darrell K Royal\u2013Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns running back James Simon (31) runs the ball during the game against UTEP at Darrell K Royal\u2013Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 13, 2025.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns tight end Jack Endries (88) celebrates a rushing touchdown by quarterback Arch Manning (16) during the game against UTEP at Darrell K Royal\u2013Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns fans display a Texas Flag during the game against UTEP at Darrell K Royal\u2013Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 13, 2025.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) runs the ball during the game against UTEP at Darrell K Royal\u2013Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) walks the field ahead of the game against UTEP at Darrell K Royal\u2013Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.<\/p>\n

Aaron E. Martinez\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n

This is life under the microscope. This is the world Manning inhabited following Saturday night’s 55-0 Texas victory over Sam Houston<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n

\"Texas<\/p>\n

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) jumps into the end zone to score a touch down during the Texas Longhorns\u2019 game against the Sam Houston State Bearkats at Darrell K Royal\u2013Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025.<\/p>\n

Mikala Compton\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n

The headphones are new, in case you\u2019re wondering. Manning used them to play a little pop, a little rap, a little Kodak Black.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Manning typically doesn\u2019t listen to music before he suits up. After he danced his way to his best performance of 2025, the question lingered in the air like a drumstick waiting to fall: Did some pregame tunes fix Texas\u2019 broken quarterback?<\/p>\n

The redshirt sophomore began the week averaging 6.8 yards per pass attempt \u2014 the kind of return that gets your head coach talking about his reasons for not benching you, as Steve Sarkisian<\/a> did more than once in the last seven days. Against Sam Houston, Manning completed 18 of his 21 passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns. He rushed for two more TDs before Sarkisian removed him from a decided game in the middle of the third quarter to let backup\u00a0Matthew Caldwell<\/a> get some run.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n

“I had everybody and their brother call me and tell me how I should fix Arch Manning,\u201d Sarkisian said. \u201cI kind of thought to myself, well, we’re pretty good at having QBs play good. I’d like to give myself one more shot before I try to pawn it off onto somebody else to figure it out.”<\/p>\n

MORE TEXAS FOOTBALL: Arch Manning, Longhorns roll through nonconference finale<\/a><\/p>\n

Maybe Kodak Black, a rapper and songwriter from Florida, had a part to play in what Manning produced after all, because the solution Sarkisian devised for Manning was as sentimental as it was technical.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI always feel like he\u2019s at his best when that emotion kind of comes out some,\u201d Sarkisian said. \u201cI think there was a lot built up in there from last week that he needed to get out. I think the guys feed off of that from him. It\u2019s one of his strengths.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n

The passion spilled over as Manning powered into the end zone for his first rushing touchdown, breaking a tackle from Sam Houston\u2019s Antavious Fish as he crossed the goal line. Manning, a former top overall recruit from football\u2019s first family, stood over Fish, a junior college product and Akron transfer, for a second or two in celebration \u2014 like a point guard who\u2019d just dunked over a future small business owner posing as a power forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n

MORE: Texas football\u00a0QB bounces back with big showing vs Sam Houston<\/a><\/p>\n

A referee gave him an earful that had Manning worried he might draw a taunting penalty. His mother expressed her discontent postgame.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably a little much there,\u201d he said. \u201c… Little immature.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n

Plenty of people monitoring the microscope pointed Manning\u2019s way thought so, too. Manning\u2019s miniature outburst went viral, like just about everything else he does. But Manning needs that emotion, he explained. The fire within him fuels him to play better. It had flickered out as Manning slumbered through the first three games of the season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Maybe the music woke him up.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMy guy got his swagger back,\u201d Texas safety Michael Taaffe said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"To be Arch Manning is to enter a room occupied by dozens of reporters inside the Texas football…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":385543,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[615,331,7,49,48,21198,384,1078,1079],"class_list":{"0":"post-385542","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-arch-manning","9":"tag-college-football","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-ncaa","12":"tag-ncaa-football","13":"tag-sam-houston-bearkats","14":"tag-steve-sarkisian","15":"tag-texas-longhorns","16":"tag-texas-longhorns-football"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115242621204870392","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=385542"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385542\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/385543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=385542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=385542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=385542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}