Manning's end-zone celebration goes unpenalized as Texas routs Sam Houston 55-0
Arch Manning's post TD flex drew strong online reaction, but Texas paid no penalty as the Longhorns rolled past winless Sam Houston; Texas has a bye week before Florida and the Red River Rivalry.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more as the eighth-ranked Longhorns routed winless Sam Houston 55-0 in Austin on Saturday. The 21-year-old redshirt sophomore, nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, accounted for five touchdowns in the win.
After escaping the grasp of Sam Houston linebacker Antavious Fish on a first-quarter TD run, Manning punctuated the moment by flexing over the Bearkats defender. Officials did not penalize him for unsportsmanlike conduct, drawing a wave of online reaction from college football fans who criticized the celebration as excessive against a winless opponent.
Sam Houston received about $1.5 million to play Texas in what is commonly described in college football as a buy game. The practice has long drawn scrutiny as a way for larger programs to pad their records. Texas has used three straight buy games after opening the season against Ohio State, outscoring those opponents 120-17.
Texas improved to 3-1 on the season and will take a bye week before a pair of high-profile tests. The Longhorns travel to face Florida on Oct. 4 and then renew the Red River Rivalry with Oklahoma on Oct. 11.
The win over Sam Houston comes after Texas opened the season with a loss to Ohio State and underscores the program's approach this year to schedule flexible nonconference dates while pursuing a more demanding conference slate down the stretch. As Manning continues to develop, Texas is banking on the offense adapting quickly for the stretch run, with a bye week giving coaches time to review and adjust ahead of the Florida game and the annual showdown with Oklahoma.