Arch Manning dominant in relief of injured Texas QB Quinn Ewers

Touted Texas backup quarterback Arch Manning stepped in for injured Quinn Ewers and the No. 2 Longhorns’ offense did not miss a beat in a 56-7 rout of UTSA on Saturday night time in Austin.

Manning threw for 223 yards and 4 touchdowns and added a 67-yard speeding rating in his most intensive taking part in time on the faculty stage after Ewers exited within the second quarter due to an indirect pressure.

Ewers appeared to undergo the noncontact harm on a cross to tight finish Gunnar Helm for a 49-yard acquire early within the second quarter. Ewers stayed in for another play earlier than leaving the sport. He went into the locker room and returned to the sideline in avenue garments simply earlier than halftime.

The redshirt junior starter threw for 185 yards on 14-of-16 passing with two touchdowns and an interception towards the Roadrunners.

Manning entered the sport with 12:19 left within the second quarter and accomplished 9 of his 12 cross makes an attempt within the blowout victory. On his first snap, he related with receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. for a 19-yard landing.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound redshirt freshman confirmed off his pace on his subsequent drive by making a defender miss on a zone learn run and dashing away for a 67-yard landing. The run was the longest by a Texas quarterback since Vince Younger in 2005.

Manning took a 28-7 lead into halftime and constructed on it with a 51-yard landing cross to Isaiah Bond, a 75-yard rating to Ryan Wingo and a 12-yard landing cross to Johntay Prepare dinner II early within the fourth quarter to finish his night time.

The Longhorns scored on 5 of his 9 possessions and put up 614 whole yards on 9.2 yards per play.

“It helps when you’ve got nice gamers round you and good coaches,” Manning mentioned. “Isaiah Bond, Ryan Wingo, the O-line, all of them performed very well. They make it a little bit bit simpler for me.”

Manning, the nephew of Eli and Peyton Manning, son of former Ole Miss broad receiver Cooper Manning and grandson of Archie Manning, appeared in two video games throughout his redshirt season with the Longhorns in 2023. The previous five-star recruit threw his first profession landing cross in Texas’ season opener this 12 months towards Colorado State however had tried solely 11 passes on the faculty stage coming into Saturday.

“Clearly there’s so much to enhance on and develop from,” Manning mentioned, “however I am glad I obtained to get in there and get hit once more and really feel what it is like.”

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian mentioned the seriousness of Ewers’ harm “stays to be seen” however famous it would not seem something is damaged.

Texas concludes its nonconference schedule Saturday towards UL Monroe earlier than making its SEC debut at residence towards Mississippi State on Sept. 28. The Longhorns then have an idle week earlier than touring to Dallas to face rival Oklahoma on Oct. 12.

“I feel Quinn’s in fairly good spirits,” Sarkisian mentioned. “I talked to him on the sidelines there. He was taking part in such good soccer. My hope is that this is not a long-term factor, that we’ll get him again, as a result of we’d like as many wholesome good gamers as we are able to get for this journey that we’re on proper now.”

Ewers, the Longhorns’ 25-game starter, beforehand sat out two video games through the 2023 season due to an injured proper shoulder and sat out three video games in 2022 after sustaining a extreme sprain of his SC joint.

After main this system to a Huge 12 title and School Soccer Playoff look final season, Ewers opted to bypass the NFL draft and returned to Texas to chase a nationwide championship. Behind Ewers and Manning, Texas has just one different scholarship quarterback on its roster in true freshman Trey Owens. The four-star signee made his first look towards UTSA and threw for 19 yards on 2-of-4 passing.

“As a result of Quinn’s been by way of it and I feel as a result of these different accidents he obtained with the shoulder have been so structural and so they have been contact-type accidents, I feel he is in all probability in a little bit higher spirits,” Sarkisian mentioned. “We have got to do all the things on our half to get him as wholesome as we are able to as shortly as potential.”

Ewers entered the weekend because the consensus favourite to win the Heisman Trophy, listed at 5-1 by ESPN BET, after throwing for 246 yards and three touchdowns in a rout of No. 10 Michigan final Saturday. His odds lengthened to 18-1 on Saturday night time after the harm, whereas Manning’s Heisman odds moved dramatically, shortening from 150-1 to 16-1 by ESPN BET.

Miami quarterback Cam Ward emerged because the consensus favourite to win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday at sportsbooks. Ward was listed at 5½-1 by ESPN BET on Saturday night time.