Arch Manning Has Running, Passing And Receiving Tds As Texas Stay Alive In Cfp Race

Arch Manning passed for 4 touchdowns, ran for 1 and caught different arsenic Texas hit Arkansas 52-37 connected Saturday to support nan Longhorns clinging to hopes of making nan College Football Playoff.

Ranked No 1 successful nan preseason, nan Longhorns (8-3, 5-2, Southeastern Conference, No 17 CFP ) will person to hit third-ranked rival Texas A&M connected Friday for a chance to make a lawsuit they merit to beryllium successful nan playoff for nan 3rd consecutive season.

“I do deliberation we’re playing bully football,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “The champion measurement we tin impressment anybody is going and winning adjacent Friday night.”

“Going done nan reliable games and nan struggle, you know, I deliberation you request that arsenic a quarterback,” Manning said. “It’s not easy, but you effort to flooded it ... Going done those reliable experiences has helped maine a lot.”

Manning connected pinch DeAndre Moore Jr for 3 touchdowns. Manning‘s touchdown drawback connected a reverse walk from Parker Livingstone was an diversion drawback wherever he had to twist his 6ft 4in framework and scope precocious to make nan play. Livingstone besides had a 54-yard TD reception.

“It was benignant of sunny retired and I mislaid it for a second,” Manning said of his TD catch. “He threw it good [in practice]. He’s bailed maine retired a fewer times, truthful I had to bail him out.”

On his touchdown tally astatine nan commencement of nan 3rd quarter, Manning trim doubly to elude tacklers earlier lunging crossed nan goalline to springiness nan Longhorns a 31-20 lead.

“Even going into nan game, he feels different successful pregame than he did 2 months ago,” Sarkisian said. “He is playing astatine a precocious level astatine nan correct clip for us.”

Arkansas (2-9, 0-7) kept it adjacent early and were only 24-20 down astatine half-time down touchdown runs from backmost Taylen Green and moving backmost Mike Washington.

Green threw an interception connected Arkansas’ first possession of nan 2nd half. The turnover group up different Texas touchdown erstwhile Manning escaped a sack and recovered Moore unfastened successful nan backmost of nan extremity zone.