Texas quarterback Arch Manning delivered on Saturday—and gave his opponent a little something extra.
Manning shined in the Longhorns' 55-0 beatdown of Sam Houston, going 18-of-21 for 309 yards and five total touchdowns. Manning, who entered the matchup completing just 55% of his passes, helped Texas score on every single drive when he was under center and looked great connecting with his receivers all game long. Granted, his opponent was... the Sam Houston State Bearcats, and Manning will have to prove he can play at this level against tougher opponents further down the schedule.
Still, it was a game to remember for Manning, who created one very memorable photo with his savage taunt toward a Sam Houston defender in the first quarter.
Late in the first, Manning shook off a few defenders and rushed for a five-yard touchdown, after which he went over to one of the Sam Houston defenders who fell to the ground and appeared to taunt him. A referee had to separate Manning and the defender, and gave the Texas quarterback a warning.
A photo of Manning's ice-cold staredown of the defender has since gone viral on social media:
This photo of Arch Manning's staredown 😮💨
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) September 21, 2025
(📸 @TexasFootball) pic.twitter.com/ZTygPaW3S8
The photo has since elicited polarizing reactions from fans, some of whom think Manning was being too over-the-top and melodramatic by flexing against a not very good team like Sam Houston. Those same fans pointed out Manning's visible struggles against No. 1 Ohio State in Texas' season-opening loss just weeks ago.
Manning himself called the taunt "immature" and may not pull out the staredown move for a while, at least not until he shows some consistency in his game. The Longhorns (3-1) will face Florida for Manning's next test of the young season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Photo of Arch Manning’s Touchdown Taunt Against Sam Houston Defender is Too Cold.
