Holly Rowe and Arch Manning were back in the postgame spotlight after Texas pulled off a dramatic win over LSU in Death Valley. This time, their exchange centered on Manning’s attempt to grow a beard for “no-shave November.” But a controversy involving the ESPN reporter, Manning and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian earlier in the season gave the brief moment added context.
After the game, Rowe opened her interview by asking Manning how he had responded to throwing three interceptions. She also asked about the final play, the team’s execution and the emotions of winning at LSU for the first time. Near the end, she shifted to his facial hair.
“OK, I see that it’s no-shave November. You’re so good in November with everything except the facial hair. What do you say?” Rowe asked.
Manning laughed and gave a short reply: “I gotta say, I gotta keep it going. Hook ’em. Thank y’all.” He then walked away.
The quarterback’s night had been difficult at times, but it ended with a decisive play. With three seconds left, he found Raleek Brown for a four-yard touchdown to complete the comeback. Manning finished 19 of 35 for 174 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. He also ran for 35 yards and a score.
The exchange was brief, but a clip of it quickly spread online. Some viewers criticized Rowe for asking about Manning’s beard after such a dramatic game. One commenter objected to the question, while others described Rowe as passive-aggressive or called for her to leave. A large account on X, Hater Report, shared an 11-second version of the interview with the caption, “Holly Rowe COOKED Arch Manning in the postgame interview for NO REASON.”
That short clip did not include the full conversation. Before bringing up the beard, Rowe had asked about Manning’s three interceptions, Brown’s game-winning touchdown and the significance of the victory. The facial-hair question came at the end of the interview.
The reaction also revived memories of an earlier incident. On September 12, after Texas defeated Ohio State 24-23, Sarkisian ended his postgame interview with Rowe early. He shouted Texas slogans and left to celebrate with his players. An AI-generated video later circulated online that falsely depicted Sarkisian hitting Rowe during the exchange.
When asked about the video on a Monday, Manning laughed and called it “hilarious.” The response drew criticism because the fake clip showed a man striking a female reporter. The fact that it was AI-generated did not prevent people from questioning his reaction.
Manning apologized publicly the next day. He called his comment insensitive, said there was nothing funny about the video and apologized directly to Rowe for what she had experienced as a result of his remarks. Rowe accepted the apology, saying the two had spoken privately and that she wanted to move forward with respect and kindness.
Sarkisian also addressed the situation. “If hindsight’s 20/20, if I could do it all over again,” he told reporters, “I would have exuded more patience in that moment and sat through and waited for the interview with Holly.”
There had been a warmer exchange between Rowe and Manning before the LSU game. After Texas beat Ole Miss 34-27 on October 24, Manning told Rowe she should cover more Texas games because the Longhorns were 3-0 with her on the sideline that season. Rowe played along, replying, “Hey, we’ll take it.” That conversation also drew attention online, including speculation about Rowe’s expression as the interview ended.
Against that history, some viewers interpreted the beard question as a pointed remark. Others saw it as teasing between people who had worked around the same football family for years. One commenter suggested that Rowe and the Mannings were simply “trolling.”
The differing reactions underline how much context can be lost when a short clip circulates by itself. The full interview included questions about Manning’s uneven performance, the final touchdown and the importance of the victory before Rowe briefly joked about his facial hair. The moment prompted criticism, but the exchange itself ended quickly, with Manning laughing and walking away.
