The hit that ended a career game for Texas football quarterback Arch Manning in Saturday’s 45-38 overtime win against Mississippi State didn’t draw a flag from the officials, but it drew plenty of ire from coach Steve Sarkisian.
On the first play of overtime, Manning scrambled for 13 yards to the Mississippi State 12-yard line. As safety Isaac Smith brought Manning to the ground with a tackle around his legs, 6-foot-4 defensive tackle Kedrick Bingley-Jones came in from behind and hit Manning in the back of the head with his forearm and shoulder. Manning’s head bounced off the turf and he stayed on the ground for a few moments before making his way to the sideline and into the injury tent.
Sarkisian voiced his opinion to the officiating crew but didn’t spend too much time arguing the lack of a penalty. He had a game to win, which happened after backup quarterback Matthew Caldwell connected with Emmett Mosley V for a 10-yard touchdown pass.
During his weekly conference Monday, however, Sarkisian revealed that he likely filed an official inquiry into the lack of a flag on the hit on Manning. Sarkisian didn’t specifically mention that play because he’s cagey enough not to publicly call out an officiating crew. But when asked about the hit, he did say “we’ve turned in a few plays, and that’s not uncommon.”
“We’re always trying just to make sure that we’re understanding of the rules,” Sarkisian said. “The last thing I want to do on gameday is be complaining to the officials the whole time. So, I just want to make sure that I know how we’re officiating certain plays so that I can complain when it’s appropriate.”
The hit by Bingley-Jones ended a massive game for Manning, who threw for a career-high 346 yards on 29-of-46 passing while racking up four total touchdowns. Manning paused while entering the medical tent on the Texas sidelines to watch Caldwell’s touchdown pass, and he spent the rest of the game there.
On Monday, Sarkisian said Manning didn’t participate in the team’s morning practice and remains in concussion protocol as the Longhorns prep for Saturday’s meeting with No. 9 Vanderbilt.
“We’ll have more information as the week goes on,” he said.
Sarkisian also hopes to have more information whether the hit to Manning is legal. League officials had not yet responded to the inquiry filed by Texas as of Monday afternoon, Sarkisian said.
“A lot of the plays we send in is not to say, ‘See, I told you, so’ (but) it’s to get back ‘No, this is why it wasn’t called’ or ‘Yes, it probably should have been called,’ ” he said. “That’s why we do it, just so that the next week, when I meet with the officials before the game, I can have that discussion on certain issues that arise not only in our games (just so) there’s a level of consistency in the officiating.”
Sarkisian then flashed a grin.
“Then I know how much time to spend complaining in games,” he said.