Arch Manning Says His Mom Was 'Pretty Mad About' Texas TD Celebration in Viral Video

Arch Manning couldn't beat Ohio State and struggled against UTEP, so he took out some of his frustration on overmatched Sam Houston on Saturday.

But his mother wasn't happy about it.

"Probably a little much there. My mom was pretty mad about it," Manning told reporters when discussing his celebration after a touchdown run that saw him stand over a defender and flex. "I think it was some built up frustration for the past few weeks."

Manning's mother might not have liked it, but his teammates did.

"He got his swagger back," safety Michael Taaffe said. "Everybody knew that it was in there. What he showed tonight is what we expect."

Nobody is going to mistake Sam Houston, which fell to 0-4 with the loss, for a national championship contender, but it was a performance Manning needed after he failed to live up to sky-high expectations at the start of the season.

The nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning was seen as the Heisman Trophy favorite and someone who could lead the Longhorns to a national title coming into the season. There couldn't have been more hype, and the fact he started the campaign with a College Football Playoff rematch against Ohio State only added to it.

And then Texas managed just a single touchdown in the loss to the Buckeyes before he threw for just 114 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a Week 3 win over UTEP. It was fair to wonder about the Longhorns' overall ceiling given Manning's struggles, but he bounced back in a major way Saturday.

Manning went 18-of-21 for 309 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions while adding two touchdowns on the ground in the 55-0 blowout win over the Bearkats. 

"It felt good," he said. "I wish I could have done that the last (three) weeks. But I'm glad we did it tonight ... Got the ball in my guys' hands and let them go to work."

Fortunately for Manning and Texas, the loss to Ohio State and early issues will be distant memories if he continues to play at that type of level and thrives during the SEC slate. Games against Georgia, Texas A&M and Oklahoma will give him the chance to bounce back against elevated competition.

If he does, the Heisman Trophy and a national title are still very much in play.