Texas Longhorns Football

Texas overcame a slow start to pick up a 35-13 win over Mississippi State on Saturday, earning its first SEC win as a member of the conference.

The No. 1 Longhorns led by just eight points at the half against arguably the worst team in the SEC, but looked like its dominant self in the second half to avoid a massive upset.

The win marked star quarterback Arch Manning's second start with veteran Quinn Ewers still dealing with an abdominal strain, and the redshirt freshman once against delivered. He had 324 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns, adding 33 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground.

After another impressive game from the nephew of NFL greats Peyton and Eli Manning, college football fans debated whether Manning should remain the starter once Ewers is healthy.

Arch Manning is the starter you absolutely can’t go back to Quinn

— Coop (@_BentleyCoop) September 28, 2024

#HookEm 🤘 Let’s go baby. Arch Manning needs to start, even when Ewers is healthy. pic.twitter.com/4u7EZapeoR

— 🦅 Sky Spirit (@wanblispirit) September 28, 2024

Honestly, can you bench Manning for Ewers at this point?

— Chaz Cook (@ChazCook) September 28, 2024

Let’s be honest Quinn Ewers not starting another game at Texas lol

— Corey Richardson (@Milesahead6) September 28, 2024

Seriously, how can Sarkisian go back to Ewers!

— Mark Champion (@nbamark) September 28, 2024

Ewers about to hit ‘em with the redshirt

— GB (@gbb70) September 28, 2024

Question:

How does Texas go back to Ewers?

— David 🦅 (@PhillyFanHND) September 28, 2024

A lot of people probably won't agree with me, but...

Arch Manning > Quinn Ewers

— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) September 28, 2024

Quinn Ewers getting Wally Pipped.

— Jerry Knaak (@GetTheKnaak) September 28, 2024

I don't like guys losing their spot to injury but Quinn Ewers would just have to understand that his spot gone..

— JadedKris (@mr_idktn) September 28, 2024

Arch Manning has been the best player on the field today. In his second career start. #HookEm

— Aaron Little (@AaronLittle30) September 28, 2024

There are certainly arguments for both sides at this point.

Manning has been as good as advertised this season, throwing for 223 passing yards and four touchdowns against UTSA before collecting 258 passing yards and two touchdowns against ULM last week.

But the argument against Manning is that those strong performances haven't necessarily come against the best competition. His first start was against a non-Power 4 team and his start on Saturday was against a team that lost to Toledo two weeks ago.

Besides, Ewers has already proved himself at this point. He led the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff a season ago and picked up a win over Michigan less than a month ago.

It's safe to say head coach Steve Sarkisian will have a tough decision to make.

Arch Manning is set to make his second consecutive start for No. 1 Texas on Saturday against Mississippi State.

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, Quinn Ewers is expected to be held out again this week while recovering from an oblique injury suffered in the Longhorns' 56-7 win over UTSA on Sept. 14.

Thamel noted Texas' coaching staff wants to give Ewers more time so that he can be at full strength for their showdown with Oklahoma on Oct. 12.

Manning replaced Ewers in the second quarter against UTSA. It wasn't immediately clear how the injury occurred because it was a non-contact play.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian told reporters after the game that Ewers felt something in his oblique on a deep pass to tight end Gunnar Helm that was complete for 49 yards.

"On the release he just feels it," Sarkisian said. "He realized he needs to get it looked at."

Ewers stayed in the game for the next play, a handoff to Quintrevion Wisner, before signaling to the sideline something was wrong.

The injury to Ewers has opened the door for Manning to get his first extended playing time. He went 9-of-12 for 75 yards through the air, ran for 53 yards on three carries and accounted for five touchdowns in relief of Ewers against UTSA.

Manning followed that up by going 15-of-29 for 258 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in his first career start against Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 21. The Longhorns cruised to a 51-3 victory.

Texas has outscored its opponents 190-22 through four games, highlighted by a 31-12 win over Michigan at the Big House on Sept. 7.

Mississippi State doesn't figure to pose a significant threat to Texas on Saturday. The Bulldogs' lone win this season was over Eastern Kentucky of the FCS, and they have allowed at least 30 points in their three games against FBS opponents.

Texas will have a bye week after Saturday's game before taking on Oklahoma in the 120th edition of the Red River Rivalry on Oct. 12.

The starting quarterback for No. 1 Texas is still undecided heading into a matchup with Mississippi State on Saturday.

"We're going to decide on the quarterback thing tomorrow," Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian said on Thursday, per ESPN's Dave Wilson. "It won't be a secret. We're not trying to pull the wool over anybody's eyes. Just want to give Quinn every opportunity to see if he's ready to play and what he looks like."

Quinn Ewers opened the season under center, but he missed Texas' 51-3 win over Louisiana-Monroe due to an oblique strain. Arch Manning started in his place, helping the Longhorns remain unbeaten through four games.

Manning finished 15-of-29 for 258 yards, throwing two touchdowns as well as two interceptions in his first start with the team.

Ewers suffered the oblique strain during the Longhorns' 56-7 win over UTSA on Sept. 14, exiting the contest in the second quarter. Manning replaced him and thrived, as the redshirt freshman racked up 223 passing yards and five total touchdowns to go along with a completion percentage of 75 percent.

ARCH MANNING SUBS IN A THROWS A TD ON HIS FIRST PASS 😱

(via @TexasFootball)
pic.twitter.com/pBg1jzJ0Zl

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 15, 2024

Sarkisian told reporters on Monday that Ewers' availability against the Bulldogs will be determined by his performance in practice throughout the week.

"He's got to do enough to show me he can play," Sarkisian said, via Wilson. "Can he execute the game plan?"

After choosing to return for his third season in Texas, Ewers' 2024 campaign was off to a strong start before the injury. In three appearances, he completed 73.4 percent of his throws for 691 yards and eight touchdowns compared to just two interceptions.

The Longhorns will have some time off following their first SEC contest against Mississippi State, as they have a bye week before returning to face No. 21 Oklahoma on Oct. 12. If Ewers isn't able to suit up against the Bulldogs, the extra rest should give him enough time to recover ahead of a tough matchup with the Sooners.

As No. 1 Texas gears up to make its SEC debut on Saturday against Mississippi State, there's a chance it could be without its starting quarterback.

Per ESPN's Dave Wilson, Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday that Quinn Ewers remains questionable as he continues to recover from the oblique strain that kept him out of the team's game against UL Monroe this past Saturday.

Sarkisian said Ewers will be evaluated during the week to determine if he's able to make his return.

"He's got to do enough to show me he can play," Sarkisian said. "Can he execute the game plan? I kind of need to see how he responds from today's work, and then what it looks like on a Tuesday, then a Wednesday, which are pretty heavy days for him, and then how he rebounds on Thursday. It's going to be kind of a work in progress. But today was a good start."

In Ewers' absence, redshirt freshman backup Arch Manning made his first career start and helped lead the Longhorns to a 51-3 victory. Manning threw for 258 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions on 15-of-29 passing. One of his picks occurred on Texas' first possession, but Sarkisian said he was encouraged by how the youngster bounced back from his early mistake.

"I've seen a lot of young quarterbacks have a rough start, and then that rough start turns into a rough game," Sarkisian said about the turnovers. "It was a little bit of a rough start for him, but I thought he rebounded and did some nice things for us."

Following this week's game against Mississippi State, Texas will have a bye week before returning to action with marquee matchups against No. 21 Oklahoma in Dallas and No. 2 Georgia in Austin. Perhaps the Longhorns would benefit from giving Ewers an extra two weeks of rest before bringing him back for the high-profile games.

Texas quarterback Arch Manning thought his first start for the Longhorns was "probably a C-plus" as his team coasted to a 51-3 victory over Louisiana-Monroe.

"Having so many playmakers around you, it definitely brings up the comfort level for me," he told reporters after the game. "We got a bunch of different receivers catch balls tonight. Just getting them in space and having them make plays is huge."

Filling in for an injured Quinn Ewers, the redshirt freshman went 15-of-29 for 258 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

11/10 would watch again@ArchManning x @_Ryanwingo1 pic.twitter.com/nFVKsQhbd4

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 22, 2024

"To think he was going to come out and play a perfect game, I don't think anybody in here thought that," head coach Steve Sarkisian said. "I thought he was going to prepare really well, work really hard, do everything he could to play good football. He was going to have some lessons learned, and I think that's what tonight was about."

If he were being honest, Sarkisian might be somewhat thankful Manning had some bright spots while making some mistakes. At least for now, Texas avoids a quarterback controversy that would serve as an unwanted distraction amid the team's quest to make the College Football Playoff.

"I think if Arch Manning really performs well these next two games, I think Steve Sarkisian is going to have a big decision to make."@DHx34 thinks Arch Manning has an opportunity to earn the starting role. 👀 pic.twitter.com/1fboD0nWi1

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) September 21, 2024

Few will have come away from Saturday night thinking Manning gives the Longhorns a better shot in the short term than Ewers, and that will make it easier for Ewers to resume QB1 duties when he's healthy again.

Granted, the conversation might change if Manning is still running the offense and torches the Mississippi State defense in Week 5 ahead of a tough two-game stretch against Oklahoma and Georgia.

Texas fans are excited that the Longhorns' future involves quarterback Arch Manning.

The nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning threw for two touchdowns and two interceptions on Saturday night while leading the Longhorns to a 51-3 victory over Louisiana-Monroe in his first college start.

Texas is now off to a 4-0 start to the season thanks in part to Manning's ability to fill in after an injury to starting quarterback Quinn Ewers.

Arch Manning matching up well with his fam in first career start 🔥🍿 pic.twitter.com/E6M3Pvd2tZ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 22, 2024

Arch Manning making the case that he is the future of Texas football

— Sara McDonald (@Saramcvt) September 22, 2024

Can definitely see signs of how good Arch Manning can end up being, but also showed some of the young inexperience tonight. Looking forward to watching him progress in #Texas !

— Ashes2Ashes (@The_Ashes2Ashes) September 22, 2024

You can see some inexperience from Texas QB Arch Manning, which is fine..

But the talent is undeniable!

— Shoes&Sports (@Shoesnsports_) September 22, 2024

You are seeing why Arch Manning is a sensational prospect, but still has so much room to grow and develop. And guess what….THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. That’s what going to College is about. We have to give these young men the time to develop into greatness. 🤙🏾

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) September 22, 2024

Manning began his debut as a college starter by throwing a pick on the Longhorns' first possession of the game.

.@CarlFauntroy secures the pick!

📺 ESPN+ / SEC Network+ pic.twitter.com/oaNSlBHGp1

— ULM Football (@ULM_FB) September 22, 2024

The freshman quarterback responded by leading Texas on a scoring drive during the next possession, which was highlighted by his 56-yard pass to Bond.

ARCH MANNING RESPONDS AFTER HIS INT 🔥

A 56-yard DIME right to the hands of Isaiah Bond 😤 pic.twitter.com/mZ1aDgpLzT

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 22, 2024

Arch Manning's deep ball is something else.... WOW

— DISC | Flamez. (@FlamezRL) September 22, 2024

Arch Manning’s deep ball is NFL grade

— Jason Kinander (@JasonKinander) September 22, 2024

Manning threw his first touchdown of the night with a short pass to Jaydon Blue in the first quarter that put Texas up by 14 points.

1️⃣6️⃣ to 2️⃣3️⃣@ArchManning @Jaydonblue23 pic.twitter.com/pTxAJ4gXVo

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 22, 2024

Manning followed that up with another 17-yard throw to Ryan Wingo on the following Longhorns possession in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

The future is looking bright ✨@ArchManning @_Ryanwingo1 pic.twitter.com/sTSA1vM2SG

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 22, 2024

Backup Trey Owens took over in the fourth quarter as Manning finished the night with 258 yards on 15-of-29 passing.

The Longhorns' defense meanwhile held LA-Monroe starter General Booty to 8-of-19 passing for 42 yards and an interception before he was pulled in the third quarter.

Manning was starting in place of Ewers, who suffered an oblique injury during the Longhorn's Week 3 win over UTSA.

ESPN's Pete Thamel recently reported that Ewers is expected to return by Week 7 for Texas' rivalry game against Oklahoma.

Manning may be the Longhorns' future, but fans see the impending return of Ewers as key to the Texas' hopes of a ticket to the CFP this winter.

Arch Manning is QB1 for the future but not right now https://t.co/lXd5tXbzw3

— CTESPN (@DifferentRanks) September 22, 2024

Arch Manning is an elite talent. Throws a gorgeous deep ball, heck of an athlete, and has a very good arm.

But his decision making and pocket presence are no where near where Quinn Ewers is.

Arch will be elite one day. But if Texas wants to win the national title, we need Ewers

— Tarik D. LaCour (@LonghornJoker) September 22, 2024

Texas QB Arch Manning finished with 15 of 29 completions, 258 passing yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, and a 135.4 passer rating in his first start. Good reps and learning opportunities for him until Quinn Ewers returns. Ewers is essential for a championship run.

— Anwar Richardson (@AnwarRichardson) September 22, 2024

Arch Manning is going to be a very good quarterback, but tonight shows why Quinn Ewers is the rightful starter.#HookEm

— Cravey (@PseudoAdult) September 22, 2024

Manning headed into Saturday's game with 318 yards and five touchdowns on 14-of-18 passing in two appearances as a backup to Ewers.

If Ewers remains sidelined, the freshman quarterback could get the nod from head coach Steve Sarkisian for a second start next Saturday at home as SEC play begins against Mississippi State.

Quinn Ewers reportedly should be ready to go for the Red River Rivalry.

The Texas Longhorns starting quarterback was injured during his team's Week 3 win over UTSA and will not play in Week 4 against Louisiana-Monroe. While his status for Week 5 is unknown, Pete Thamel of ESPN reported on College GameDay that Ewers is expected to be ready for the Week 7 rivalry game against Oklahoma.

Latest from @CollegeGameDay on Quinn Ewers’ impending return from an oblique injury. pic.twitter.com/kMaaAyzTaO

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 21, 2024

"The overwhelming expectation is that he will be back in that game barring any setbacks," Thamel said.

Ewers is in his third season as the Longhorns starter and has been a major reason why the team holds the current No. 1 ranking in that nation. He has thrown for 691 yards with eight touchdowns and two interceptions in 2024 and has 6,347 career passing yards and 45 touchdowns.

The Longhorns should remain solid with backup Arch Manning under center for the game against the Warhawks and possibly the game against the Bulldogs. However, Ewers gives Texas its best chance at avenging last season's loss to Oklahoma and having him back would be huge prior to the meat of the SEC schedule.

Oklahoma is also currently undefeated but do have a tough matchup against Tennessee in Week 4. Whether or not they remain undefeated, the Sooners will be a tough test for the Longhorns and having Ewers ready to go will be crucial.

Arch Manning reportedly wants to remain at Texas for four seasons before leaving the Longhorns for the NFL draft.

Pat McAfee reported that news Saturday during's ESPN's College Gameday.

Quinn Ewers has been ELITE

The Manning family is old school and you never lose a job because of an injury..

Arch Manning wants to be in the progrum for four years and he wants to develop #CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/FtNX9kGJtd

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 21, 2024

Manning, the No. 1 overall class of 2023 prospect, is in his second year at Texas. He was the third-string quarterback last year before moving up to backup this year.

Manning has played in relief of Ewers twice this year, completing 14-of-18 passes for 318 yards and five touchdowns and rushing for 53 yards and two scores. He is set to start for Ewers, who suffered an oblique injury, on Saturday evening against Louisiana-Monroe.

Manning's uncles, Peyton and Eli Manning, both played college football for four seasons apiece before going to the pros. Peyton Manning starred at Tennessee before the Indianapolis Colts selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft.

Eli Manning was at Ole Miss for four seasons before the San Diego Chargers selected him with the top choice of the 2004 draft and subsequently traded him to the New York Giants.

If Arch Manning stays four seasons, then he could very well be the starter for two. Ewers could have potentially left for the NFL draft last offseason but ended up returning to school. He has one year left of college eligibility but could very well leave the pros.

That might be the prudent move for Ewers, as he could potentially emerge as the QB1 in a wide-open draft class.

As for Manning, he looks like a No. 1 overall pick based on early returns, although if he plans on staying four years, then he'll certainly have more time to showcase his tremendous talent. For now, his first-ever start is on the horizon as he leads the No. 1 Longhorns against Louisiana-Monroe.

Ahead of Arch Manning's much-anticipated first start for Texas, Nick Saban offered an assessment of the the highly-touted quarterback's skill set based on what he's seen so far.

On Saturday's episode of College Gameday, Saban assessed three different plays from Manning's appearance against UTSA last week to show where he's already strong and what needs work.

Nick Saban breaks down Arch Manning's tape ahead of his Week 4 start ✍️ pic.twitter.com/iaCUpFhefI

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 21, 2024

The first two plays—one run, one pass—were very positive for Manning and Texas because they resulted in touchdowns. Saban praised him for going to the over route on the pass play that led to a 19-yard touchdown catch for DeAndre Moore Jr.

The second play is a simple zone-read option in which Manning keeps the ball when the edge defender bit by going at Quintrevion Wisner. The freshman showed off his speed and athleticism on a 67-yard touchdown run.

It was the third play where Saban showed the areas that Manning has to work on. It was a third-down situation when UTSA brought pressure with a blitz, but Manning didn't adjust and was sacked to end the drive.

That final play can be attributed to a simple lack of reps, rather than something to be overly concerned about. Manning only had 11 career pass attempts prior to entering last week's game after Quinn Ewers left in the second quarter with an oblique injury.

Despite the third-down mishap Saban pointed out, Manning's first extended game action was overall very impressive against an opponent at an extreme talent disadvantage. He finished 9-of-12 for 223 yards and four touchdowns through the air and 53 rushing yards with a score on three carries.

Manning, the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, will have a chance to show off what he's learned after getting first-team reps all week when he leads the top-ranked Longhorns against Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday.

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian told reporters on Thursday that Arch Manning would make his first career college start on Saturday against Louisiana Monroe, with Quinn Ewers still sidelined due to an oblique strain.

Manning was brilliant in relief duty for Ewers last week against UTSA, throwing for 223 yards and four touchdowns while adding a 67-yard touchdown scamper. He certainly looked the part of a former No. 1 overall recruit.

Arch Manning threw a TD on his first play of the game 🎯 pic.twitter.com/4o7pbiV5k7

— ESPN (@espn) September 15, 2024

ARCH MANNING TAKES IT 67 YARDS TO THE HOUSE WITH HIS LEGS 😱

It's the longest rush by a Texas QB since Vince Young in 2005. pic.twitter.com/AjU9uSli2c

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 15, 2024

ARCH MANNING 75-YD DIME ON THE MONEY 💸🔥

(via @TexasFootball)

pic.twitter.com/NL7uW2OfxR

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 15, 2024

Sarkisian was pleased with that effort:

You never know, as a backup, when you're going to get put in the game. For [Manning] to come in on his first play to hit DeAndre Moore for the touchdown. On his third play—we're in a little different style of offense when he's in there—the little zone read, to pull it and the explosive play. I love the post throw to Ryan Wingo for the for the long touchdown. The big corner route to Ryan. He threw a beautiful kind of slot fade to Johntay Cook for a touchdown. He did some nice things for us and extended some drives on third downs. So that was a great experience for him that he got.

It also had social media buzzing.

Respect from a Texas legend 🤝

Vince Young gave Arch Manning a shout after Manning's 67-yard rush TD that was the longest rush by a Texas QB since Vince Young in 2005. pic.twitter.com/mSUn1XWOoz

— ESPN (@espn) September 15, 2024

In almost any other situation, Texas might have a quarterback controversy on its hands. But Ewers has been brilliant, leading Texas to the College Football Playoff last season and convincing wins over Colorado State and Michigan to start the 2024 campaign.

This season, he's thrown for 691 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions, completing an impressive 73.4 percent of his passes. Those aren't the sort of numbers that put a quarterback at risk just because the hotshot sophomore looked good in one game.

Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian said all the goals they have for Quinn Ewers are still in front of him. Sarkisian said he can be in New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation, win or lose, and become a Top 5 pick

— Anwar Richardson (@AnwarRichardson) September 19, 2024

Sarkisian also noted that Ewers was quick to support Manning.

"Quinn, he just wants to keep playing, you know?" he told reporters. "Nobody wants to have to come out of the game because you get injured, but I think if you asked Quinn today, he's fired up for him, because he knows how hard Arch has been working."

"The growth that [Manning's] shown and the ability to work at his craft, there's a real level of appreciation, I think, from Quinn to Arch," Sarkisian added. "But also Arch to Quinn because I know Arch has been there supporting Quinn through his journey as well. So that's a sign of a great room and a sign of a good team."