Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning helped his program make history with an incredible game-winning touchdown at the end of the fourth quarter in a 22-21 win over the LSU Tigers.
Manning ended LSU’s hopes of making it to the college football playoffs with a fantastic throw to Raleek Brown to break through LSU’s defence and score a game-winning touchdown with three seconds left.
Manning was having a rough game the entire evening up until that point, but his strong fourth quarter to complete yet another comeback win against a top-25-ranked opponent has left many impressed.
Outside the game-winning touchdown, Manning’s stats were rough, with 19 of 36 pass attempts for 174 yards and one touchdown, along with three interceptions.
Manning’s clutch play at the end of the game seemingly erased his struggles prior to this, with fans reacting from both ends of the spectrum.
One fan praised the quarterback by stating “Arch Manning is the best QB we’ve seen in years. A generational prospect.”
A more level-headed fan offered a different perspective, noting “Arch Manning just did his best Eli Manning impression. Mostly dreadful QB play down the stretch but just gets it done when it matters most. He’s done that twice this season.”
Another fan questioned the final play by stating “This may be the most gassed-up one-air-yard completion I have ever seen. They’re acting like Arch Manning just threw cross body 57 yards into the bucket.”
Highlighting his physical traits, another observer commented “The one thing you can say about Arch for certain — he’s ridiculously tough.”
Addressing his inconsistency, another critic noted “It’s funny that Arch Manning has Heisman moments, but because he has no consistency in his game, he won’t be an all-conference player.”
Calling Manning a generational quarterback prospect or the best quarterback in the NCAA right now is a ridiculous overreaction, as the 22-year-old player has plenty of holes in his game to iron out still.
Even LSU’s struggling Sam Leavitt ultimately outperformed this number, but none of that matters when one player leaves with the win.
Manning’s winning plays this season will be remembered and boost his draft stock, but rational fans can see that there’s a lot more substance still required to justify the hype for the quarterback.