Manning asks Rowe to cover more Texas games after Ole Miss win

Texas quarterback Arch Manning asked sideline reporter Holly Rowe to cover more of the team’s games after the Longhorns beat Ole Miss 34-27 on October 24, pointing to a 3-0 record in games she had covered. Rowe replied, “We’ll take it,” during the postgame interview in Austin. The victory improved Texas’s season record to 5-2. The three wins Manning referenced came against Ohio State on September 12, Tennessee on September 26 and Ole Miss. Rowe was part of the ESPN broadcast during each game. The exchange drew attention in the context of an earlier controversy involving Manning and Rowe. After Texas’s win over Ohio State, a fabricated AI video depicting head coach Steve Sarkisian striking Rowe circulated online. At a later press conference, Manning said he had seen the video and called it funny. Manning subsequently apologized publicly, saying his comment about the video was insensitive and hurtful. In a statement shared on his Instagram story, he specifically apologized to Rowe and said he respected her. The earlier comment and apology were reported as background to the postgame interaction. Viewers interpreted Rowe’s expression as she walked away from the interview in...