By KACE KIESCHNICK, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
For the first time since 2002, a Manning will play in Tiger Stadium. Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns come to Baton Rouge on Nov. 14.
In that Nov. 23, 2002, matchup, Eli Manning’s Ole Miss team came up just short in a 14-13 loss. He threw for only 218 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions on 19-of-38 passing. The Tigers will hope his nephew has a similar outcome in Death Valley.
But the Mannings do have two wins in Tiger Stadium as Eli led the Rebels to a 35-24 victory on Oct. 27, 2001, as the sophomore completed 28 of 44 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter to erase a 24-21 deficit to LSU coach Nick Saban.
And sophomore Archie Manning – Arch’s grandfather – passed for 344 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another on Nov. 2, 1968, to beat LSU. “Archie Manning 27, LSU 24” was the headline the next day in the Baton Rouge Advocate as Manning led the Rebels on a 75-yard game-winning drive in the final minutes to upset the No. 14 and 5-1 Tigers.
Arch Manning makes his return to Louisiana after playing his high school ball at Isadore Newman in New Orleans. It is the first meeting between the schools since the Tigers’ 45-38 win in Austin in 2019. The Longhorns were supposed to make a return trip as part of that series, but it was postponed by COVID and their move to the SEC. So, this will be Texas’ first game in Tiger Stadium since the No. 11 Longhorns lost 20-7 at unranked LSU on Sept. 19, 1953.
“We’re excited,” Manning said at SEC Media Days on Thursday. “I grew up going to Baton Rouge for football games, and we’re excited to go. It’s going to be a good game. They’re a great program with a bunch of good players, so we’re excited.”
Manning played his first season as the full-time starter last year. He led the Longhorns to a 10-3 record with a 41-27 Citrus Bowl victory over Michigan. In 13 games, he completed 248 of his 404 passes for 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He ran 92 times for 399 yards and 10 scores.
“I learned a lot,” Manning said. “Gaining those game experiences was really good for me.”
After a rough start, he finished the season strong, but a 14-7 week one loss to Ohio State and a disjointed 29-21 performance at Florida in week five dug too big a hole for the Longhorns to climb out of for SEC title contention.
“He didn’t play to the way he was capable of playing,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday.
And then the fans who had been saying Manning was going to be the first pick of the NFL Draft and win the Heisman, Sarkisian said, “wanted to criticize and demean him for letting them down. What he got put through probably would have melted or destoryed 99 percent of people.
Manning said he is a different quarterback from early last season.
“I think I’ve become more present, obviously matured,” he said. “Going through those rough times, I learned a lot about myself and I’ve become a better man because of it and hopefully a better player.”
Texas is again the preseason favorite to win the SEC. The Longhorns are ranked No. 2 overall in ESPN’s College Football Power Index. Manning will have his chance at redemption against the Buckeyes at home on Sept. 12.
The road trip to Baton Rouge comes at a critical time for the Tigers, sandwiched between a home game against Alabama and an away trip to Tennessee. With difficult early schedules for both teams, there is a very good chance that College Football Playoff hopes will hang in the balance.
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