Urban Meyer calls out Texas for Arch Manning decision
Story by Kevin Harrish
Throughout the season, Texas Longhorns have utilized young star quarterback Arch Manning in short-yardage situations, taking advantage of his running ability. But with the game on the line in the red zone of the College Football Playoff semifinal against Ohio State last week, they left him on the bench.
With Arch Manning on the bench, Texas failed to score a game-tying touchdown after starting 1st-and-goal from the one-yard line. Texas got stuffed on first down on a run inside the tackles, lost several yards on a toss play to the outside, failed to convert a pass on third down, and gave up a strip-sack on fourth down.
Three-time national champion Urban Meyer was not impressed with the strategy, especially against the defensive front that Ohio State was playing.
During the latest episode of “The Triple Option” podcast alongside Rob Stone and Mark Ingram, Urban Meyer called out Texas coach Steve Sarkisian for the decision not to put Arch Manning in the game to counter the look from the Buckeyes.
“You got this far to go,” Meyer said via Athlon. “It’s bear zero. How do you equate numbers? … There’s only two ways … You run the quarterback is number one. Single wing offense … So I almost thought I was going to see Arch Manning running in there like they did on the fourth down call earlier in the game. I thought where is he? Here he comes. He didn’t come. He didn’t come. So I knew it wasn’t a quarterback because (starting quarterback) Quinn Ewers isn’t a quarterback runner. And then the other way to do it is some type of option football and he’s not that.”
Meyer went as far as to say that there was “no other way” Texas was going to be able to run the ball against that front without utilizing the threat of the quarterback run.
“I got news,” Meyer added. “There’s no other way to run the football down there against bare zero. There’s two extra hats. So, one is the quarterback, direct snap. It’s called single-wing offense, which they did on fourth down. And they didn’t do that. And then the lateral play, which I know coach Sark and so much respect, he’s good. I mean, that’s going to haunt him for a while ’cause you have four shots.”
Obviously, Texas did not convert. Instead, Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer forced a fumble and returned it for a touchdown the other direction, ending the game.
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