ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum called out Texas quarterback Arch Manning and Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss on Sunday, lumping two of college football’s most prominent passers into a critique of late-game meltdowns after a chaotic Week 8 in the SEC.
Finebaum made the comments on “The Matt Barrie Show” while discussing No. 11 Tennessee’s 27-24 loss at South Carolina, where quarterback George MacIntyre’s botched fourth-down play and late fumble handed the Gamecocks a walk-off win.
What did Paul Finebaum say?
“I’ve never seen more teams screw up in the last two minutes in my life,” Finebaum said. “Tennessee gave that game away.
“I’m not a psychiatrist, but the human emotion, there’s so much pressure. We’ve seen Arch Manning and Trinidad Chambliss both make idiotic mistakes, and they’re two of the very best. You get down to the level of a George MacIntyre of Tennessee, who is good and was on the verge of a really big win, and he manages to give it away.”
Leading 24-17, Tennessee went for it on fourth-and-1 at the South Carolina 38 with under four minutes left, but MacIntyre kept the ball instead of handing it to tight end DaSaahn Brame. Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said afterward it was “just missteps by George on that one.”
The Gamecocks tied the game with 1:17 left, and Dylan Stewart’s strip-sack of the sophomore with 33 seconds remaining set up Malik Orsan’s 48-yard walk-off field goal.
Arch Manning’s three turnovers against Ole Miss
Manning’s turnovers fueled No. 7 Ole Miss’ rally from a 24-3 halftime deficit before No. 19 Texas held on for a 34-27 win Saturday night.
The Longhorns quarterback threw a first-quarter interception and lost a third-quarter fumble that Kam Franklin recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. Ole Miss picked him off again with the score tied 24-24 early in the fourth quarter.
Manning scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 1-yard run, but his minus-0.57 expected points added per dropback ranked in the second percentile of single-game performances this season.
Finebaum called Manning “downright stupid” after a 27-24 loss to Oklahoma on Oct. 10, and before Saturday’s game he said Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, not Manning, would face the most heat if the Longhorns lost again.
Why Trinidad Chambliss drew Finebaum’s criticism
ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit named Chambliss the best quarterback in the country before kickoff, but the Ole Miss starter threw a career-high three interceptions after never throwing more than one in a game for the Rebels.
Texas’ Justin Cryer intercepted him on the snap after Manning’s first pick, and Chambliss threw another on fourth-and-goal from the Texas 2 with 1:41 left in the first half.
The Rebels quarterback threw two second-half touchdown passes to Horatio Fields to tie the game, then drove Ole Miss into Texas territory after an onside kick before Jelani McDonald intercepted his Hail Mary on the final play.
Texas snapped a two-game losing streak to improve to 5-2, and Ole Miss fell to 5-2.
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