Arch Manning is under pressure every single week. The expectation of him, that has been driven up by incessant hype and hope for his future, is that he'll be a superstar like never before.
The Texas QB succumbed to that pressure in Week 1, but he thrived through it in Week 2 when he tossed four touchdowns in a span of five attempts. Still, the pressure doesn't go away, and now it's on again in Week 3, even against another bad opponent.
"No FBS quarterback is becoming more familiar with wall-to-wall scrutiny. While not unexpected – his name, his reputation, the fact that he’s the starter at Texas all play a role — the parsing of every Manning throw is vastly greater than the attention heaped on any other player in the FBS," USA Today's Paul Myerberg said.
Manning accounted for five touchdowns last weekend, which was five times as many as he had against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Still, people took notice of a grimace after a sidearm throw and began to wonder. His coach says he's not hurt, but it's just one of things that happens when under a microscope like that.
"The SJSU win still progress for the first-year starter. He’ll have to continue that improvement in what should be another rout, this time against Texas-El Paso," Myerberg said. "The Miners allowed 233 yards on 8.3 yards per attempt in a loss to Utah State and then gave up 295 yards on 8.2 yards per throw in last Saturday’s win against Tennessee-Martin."
This is as good a matchup as Manning could ask for. After a huge step in the right direction last week (he still tossed an interception), it's another chance for Manning to put some distance between himself and that dismal opener and get ready for the rest of the pressure-packed season.