Arch Manning makes an admission about his taunting

Jan 1, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warms up before the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Arch Manning was criticized on Saturday after he taunted an opponent, and the Texas quarterback later expressed some regret over the exchange.

Manning had a big day in Texas’ 55-0 win over Sam Houston State at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. The Longhorns were leading 7-0 late in the first quarter when Manning faked a handoff on 2nd-and-goal and ran for a touchdown.

Sam Houston State linebacker Antavious Fish was the last defender with a chance to stop Manning, but he flopped to the ground and could not make the play. Manning then went out of his way to walk toward Fish and stand over him, which led to the two exchanging words. You can see the video here.

When asked about the play after the game, Manning admitted his reaction to scoring was “probably a little much.” He also revealed that his mother was not happy about it.

“It felt good to get back in the end zone. Probably a little much there. My mom was pretty mad about that,” Manning said. “A little immature, but I think it was some built-up frustration from the past few weeks.”

#Texas QB Arch Manning on his celebration after his rushing touchdown vs. Sam Houston State.

“It felt good to be back in the end zone. It was probably a little much, my mom was mad at me.”

Said he thought he was going to get flagged. @ontexasfootball https://t.co/KE9N8a2KIm pic.twitter.com/nFJU9Is9Ng
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) September 21, 2025

Manning went 18/21 for 309 yards and 3 touchdowns on Saturday before he was taken out of the game. He also rushed for a pair of scores.

The issue was that Sam Houston State was a cupcake opponent for Texas, so some fans felt it was a bad look for Manning to taunt an inferior opponent. Manning has also played poorly for stretches this season and even heard some boos from Texas fans last week.

Texas has won three straight games following their disappointing season-opening loss to Ohio State. While fans probably enjoyed seeing the enthusiasm from Manning against Sam Houston State, they would rather him celebrate a score like that against a tougher opponent.