The University of Texas football team captured one of the biggest and most dramatic regular season wins in program history Saturday night, coming back from down 23-3 in the fourth quarter to defeat the then-No. 1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, 24-23, at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Unfortunately, in the aftermath of what should have been an eminently glorifying moment for the entire Longhorn program, the two most prominent faces of that program – head coach Steve Sarkisian and star quarterback Arch Manning – exhibited disappointing behavior that embarrassed both the university and themselves, and distracted from the thrilling victory.
The first such instance occurred on the field immediately following the end of the game. With emotions at their highest, Sarkisian was understandably eager to begin celebrating with his team and fans. But the coach let that eagerness get the better of him, resulting in a moment of disrespect toward one of the most respected professionals in the entire college football landscape, ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe.
Rowe had Sarkisian pulled aside for the customary “walk-off” TV interview that follows just about every game. While these brief interviews (often three or fewer questions of the softest softball variety) can certainly be hit-or-miss in terms of their substance and memorability – though, they are typically most valuable following emotional victories exactly like this one – it’s still an obligation that every coach, going back decades, has known to expect. So it was difficult to understand why Sarkisian felt compelled to interrupt Rowe as she began to ask her first question, shouted, “That’s called Texas fight! That’s called Texas fight! Hook ’em!” and proceeded to run out of frame. Rowe, understandably feeling slighted in the moment, rolled her eyes as the camera cut away.
It’s hard to know exactly what to make of this moment. Earlier, ESPN admitted to some technical difficulties that prevented the network from connecting on a similar interview with Sarkisian at halftime. A spokesperson for Texas, not ESPN, told The Athletic that those technical issues arose again after the game. If so, it’s more understandable that Sarkisian’s patience might have worn thin in that moment, even though only 66 seconds transpired between the final play of the game and announcer Chris Fowler’s toss to Rowe on the field. But that still wouldn’t excuse Sarkisian blowing off Rowe in the manner he did, and it begs the question whether the coach might have acted differently if the reporter involved happened to be a man, or perhaps a younger woman (unsurprisingly, Rowe has since been subjected to rancid online commentary about her appearance as a result of the now-viral exchange).
Regrettably, Sarkisian was never asked for his explanation of the exchange in either the postgame press conference or Monday’s longer-form weekly media availability (the Chronicle does not regularly apply for media access at Texas football games). However, the moment – or, a reference to it – was brought up Monday, by Manning.
Asked if he had been enjoying any fan edits of the victory on social media, Manning said, “I’ve seen a few AI edits of stuff, but that’s about it. I saw an AI edit of Sark’s interview.” Cue raucous laughter from the room of reporters, indicating that they knew exactly the interview in question.
Manning continued, with a boyish giggle, “Have y’all seen that one? That’s a good one. Of him slapping Holly Rowe? Yeah, it’s hilarious.”
More laughter.
Surprisingly, none of the assembled media felt the need to follow up on that point from the quarterback and seek clarification on what it was about the video depicting a man physically striking a woman to the ground that Manning found so hilarious.
The 22-year-old Manning obviously should know better, and considering the stately Manning dynasty that he hails from, it’s startling that he apparently did not.
On Tuesday, Manning posted a written apology on his Instagram story, saying, “In my press conference yesterday, I made an insensitive comment about an AI video. There is nothing funny about it. It’s easy to say I didn’t mean it, but I know my words and actions were hurtful to a lot of people. I do not take that lightly and am deeply sorry for that.”
He continued, “I specifically want to apologize to Holly Rowe for what she has personally had to deal with because of my comments. I have a ton of respect for her and appreciate her showing me grace in this moment. I need to do better and will be more thoughtful going forward.”
Good for Manning owning up to the error. This will hopefully be a learning experience for him.
But for that to happen, it will require proper guidance and mentorship from the adults in the room, and that’s who really showed their ass the most in this instance.
There’s no AI video if Sarkisian handles prosperity with class, gives grace and patience to whatever technical issues may or may not have taken place on ESPN’s side, and gives Rowe a proper interview worthy of being the face of college football’s new No. 1-ranked team. Exactly how his predecessors, championship-winning Texas coaches and consummate gentlemen Darrell Royal and Mack Brown, would have.
And there’s likely no elaboration from Manning on exactly which video he privately found amusing without the laughter of a room full of mostly male journalists, encouraging Manning that his flippant joke has found a receptive and amicable audience.
On a day which also featured an Austin-based episode of ESPN’s College GameDay platforming Ted Cruz for nearly 10 uninterrupted minutes to advocate for a bill that the NAACP calls “a modern version of Jim Crow,” and a Republican nominee for statewide office making overtly racist comments toward members of the UT student body, the regrettable behavior of the two most prominent members of the Texas football program served to spoil some of the joy that should have come from an otherwise great day to be a Longhorn.
This article appears in September 18 • 2026.
