Texas Fans Boo Arch Manning After Brutal Start, Steve Sarkisian Says Why That’s A Good Thing
Maybe it's a learning experience?
Few players have come into college football with as much fanfare and with as high of expectations as Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, but, of course, it won't always be smooth sailing.
On Saturday, the 1-1 Longhorns hosted the University of Texas at El Paso Miners, and things didn't get off to a smooth start for the home team.
In fact, it was so rocky — a streak of 10 straight incomplete passes — that at one point the fans started letting the Manning-led offense hear it and unloaded a chorus of boos.
Fortunately for the Longhorns, they got it together and managed to win this one 27-10, but no way getting booed by the fans is going to help Manning's confidence. His play this season has left something to be desired; granted, it's still early in his career as a starter.
However, head coach Steve Sarkisian said that the booing may have actually been a good thing for his young quarterback.
"I told Arch before the season, you've never really been a quarterback until they boo you," Sarkisian said at the half. "He got booed in the first half, now he can start playing."
I love that, and there's some truth to it.
It's like if you started going to stand-up open mics. You haven't really gotten the full stand-up experience until you bomb, and sometimes that first bombing run loosens you up.
It still sucks, but hey, it's part of it.
Arch bombed in the first half, but he and the team survived and eventually won. There's a good lesson in that.
As we said, expectations are sky-high given how highly-touted he was out of high school and the fact that it says "MANNING" on the back of his jersey.
But, hopefully, this low point might be a good thing in the long run.