Texas football film study: Why can't the Longhorns protect Arch Manning from being sacked?
Arch Manning keeps getting sacked. Is it his fault?
Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian lamented the team's five sacks against Mississippi State, expressing concern over the heavy hits his quarterback Arch Manning endured. The pressure and quarterback hits Texas' offensive line allows have been a growing issue, outpacing last season's performance. Arch Manning has faced 20 sacks in eight SEC games, with the latest pressure being another alarming chapter for the team's offensive line.
The offensive line's performance is a major concern, allowing pressure on nine of Manning's 28 drop-backs in Saturday's game, a 32.1% rate that marked Texas' best in SEC play this season. The Longhorns have allowed at least a 37% pressure rate in each of their five SEC games this season, including a season-high 46.7% during their 20-17 win over Tennessee.
A key factor in the sacks can be traced back to the offensive line's inability to recognize the opponent's schemes, such as Mississippi State's 5-man rush that led to Manning's sack. While quarterbacks are typically responsible for their sack totals, the quality of play from the offensive line, receivers, and play designers has been inconsistent at best. The Longhorns' lack of protection for their quarterback is evident, ranking 14th among SEC teams and 119th among all Division I teams in sacks allowed.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
