Steve Sarkisian vows to 'evaluate everything,' won’t rule out benching Arch Manning amid Texas' two-game skid

The Florida Gators, who opened the 2026 season undefeated and knocked off then‑No. 4 Ole Miss, pulled off a narrow 30‑27 victory over the Texas Longhorns on Saturday night at Darrell K Royal‑Texas Memorial Stadium. The win was a late‑game upset, capped by a sack‑fumble that proved decisive for the Gators.

Florida’s senior quarterback, Arch Manning, finished with 173 passing yards and a single touchdown. The Gator defense, however, was the true star, racking up five sacks and forcing a turnover that sealed the victory. In contrast, the Longhorns managed only 50 offensive snaps—the fewest in Coach Steve Sarkisian’s tenure—while Texas struggled to produce sustained drives.

The game came at a time of upheaval for Texas. The Longhorns had been ranked No. 1 in the AP poll but were knocked out of the top spot after a loss to unranked Oklahoma last week. That loss, combined with a subsequent defeat by Florida, made the team the only one since 1936 to reach the top of the rankings and then lose consecutive games to unranked opponents. Texas had also just completed a 22‑game winning streak at home against unranked teams, a streak that now crumbles.

“Everything’s going to be evaluated,” Sarkisian told reporters after the game. “Everything means everything.” He added that he would not rule out a change at quarterback, noting that the offense “didn’t play very good football today, outside about the first quarter. We kind of bled out.”

Sarkisian was candid about the offensive struggles, saying, “We didn’t play very good football today, outside about the first quarter. We kind of bled out.” He also reflected on the game’s outcome: “It would be easy for me to say, ‘Hey, Arch was the problem today.’ Was Arch perfect? No. But nobody was perfect on offense today.” “We’re not playing very good football right now,” he said. “I have to evaluate everything. It’s going to be a long night.”

When asked whether play‑calling would be part of the review, Sarkisian responded, “I don’t know how many times I need to say it. We’re going to evaluate everything from an offensive perspective. Part of that is play‑calling.” The coach emphasized that the team was looking for ways to regain its footing after a series of disappointing results.

The Gators entered the matchup on a four‑game winning streak, having upset the top‑ranked Rebels in Week 4 before dropping two consecutive games. Their win over Texas, an underdog in the game, added a bright note to a season that has seen its share of highs and lows.

Looking ahead, Texas will host the Ole Miss Rebels in Austin next Saturday. The Longhorns will need to address the offensive shortcomings highlighted in their loss to Florida and rebuild after the shock of falling to an unranked opponent in a game that carried high stakes for a program that had recently enjoyed national prominence.

For Florida, the win over Texas confirms the Gators’ ability to compete with top‑tier teams even after a couple of setbacks. Their defensive dominance, combined with a resilient offense, suggests they will remain a threat in the coming weeks.

As Texas prepares for a critical homecoming against Ole Miss, the Longhorns will have to quickly adjust on both sides of the ball. Whether they can reverse the trend and avoid a prolonged slump remains to be seen, but the stark lessons from Saturday’s defeat are clear: every game matters, and the margin for error has never been so thin.