Arch Manning dominates as replacement for injured Texas QB Quinn Ewers

Celebrated Texas backup quarterback Arch Manning stepped in for the injured Quinn Ewers and the No. 2 Longhorns delivered a 56-7 victory over UTSA on Saturday night.

Manning threw for 223 yards and four touchdowns and added a 67-yard rushing score in his longest collegiate season after Ewers left the field with an abdominal strain in the second quarter. Ewers went to the locker room and returned to the sidelines in civilian clothes just before halftime.

The redshirt junior starter threw 14 of 16 passes for 185 yards with two touchdowns and one interception against the Roadrunners.

Manning entered the game with 12:19 left in the second quarter and completed 9 of his 12 passes in the blowout victory. On his first snap of the night, he connected with receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. for a 19-yard touchdown. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound redshirt freshman showed off his speed on his next drive, outsmarting a defender and running for a 67-yard touchdown run. The run was the longest by a Texas quarterback since Vince Young in 2005.

Manning took a 28-7 lead into halftime and extended it with a 51-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Bond, a 75-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Wingo and a 12-yard touchdown pass to Johntay Cook II early in the fourth quarter to close out his night. The Longhorns scored on five of their nine possessions and finished the game with 614 total yards at 9.2 yards per play.

Manning, the nephew of Eli and Peyton Manning, son of former Ole Miss wide receiver Cooper Manning and grandson of Archie Manning, appeared in two games during his redshirt sophomore season with the Longhorns in 2023. He threw his first career touchdown pass in Texas’ season opener this year against Colorado State, but had attempted just 11 pass attempts at the college level prior to Saturday.

Recovery from an abdominal strain typically takes several weeks. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said the severity of Ewers’ injury “remains to be seen,” but noted that they don’t believe anything is broken.

Texas finishes its non-conference schedule next Saturday against UL Monroe before making its SEC Conference debut at home against Mississippi State on Sept. 28. The Longhorns will then have a week off before traveling to Dallas to face rival Oklahoma on Oct. 12.

Ewers, the Longhorns’ 25-game starter, already missed two games in the 2023 season with a right shoulder injury and missed three games in 2022 after suffering a severe sprain of his SC joint. After leading the program to a Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff appearance last season, Ewers decided to skip the NFL Draft and returned to Texas in 2024 to pursue a national championship.

Besides Ewers and Manning, Texas has only one other scholarship quarterback on its roster, freshman Trey Owens. The four-star recruit made his first career appearance against UTSA and threw 2 of 4 passes for 19 yards.

Ewers entered the weekend as the clear favorite for the Heisman Trophy, at 5/1 on ESPN BET after he threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns in a win over No. 10 Michigan last Saturday. After his injury, his odds rose to 15/1 on Saturday night, while Manning’s Heisman Trophy odds changed dramatically, dropping from 150/1 to 18/1 on ESPN BET.

Miami quarterback Cam Ward emerged as the clear favorite to win the Heisman Trophy in sports betting on Saturday. Ward was listed at 5-1 on ESPN BET on Saturday night.