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Max Olson, ESPN writer
Texas backup quarterback Arch Manning came in for the injured Quinn Ewers, and the second-ranked Longhorns offense didn’t miss a beat in a 56-7 win over UTSA on Saturday night in Austin.
Manning threw for 223 yards and four scores and added 67 yards in his most career college game after Ewers exited in the second quarter with an oblique strain.
Ewers appeared to suffer a non-contact injury on a pass to tight end Gunnar Helm for a 49-yard touchdown early in the second quarter. Ewers remained on the field for one more play before leaving the game. He entered the locker room and returned to the sideline in regular clothes before halftime.
The redshirt junior freshman threw for 185 yards on 14-of-16 passing with two scores and an interception against the Roadrunners.
Manning entered the game with 12:19 left in the second quarter and completed nine of his 12 attempts in the landslide win. On his first pass of the game, he successfully threw the ball to receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. for a 19-yard field goal.
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound freshman showed his speed on his next attempt by making a defender miss a run in a zone read and then sprinting for a 67-yard touchdown. It was the longest touchdown run by any Texas quarterback since Vince Young in 2005.
Manning led 28-7 at halftime and continued his run with a 51-yard pass to Isaiah Bond, a 75-yard pass to Ryan Wingo and a 12-yard pass to Jontay Cook II early in the fourth quarter to end his night.
The Longhorns scored five touchdowns in nine of their games and recorded 614 total yards for an average of 9.2 yards per game.
“It helps to have great players and good coaches around you,” Manning said. “Isiah Bond, Ryan Wingo and the offensive line have all played really well. They’ve made it easier for me.”
Manning, the nephew of Eli and Peyton Manning, son of former Ole Miss receiver Cooper Manning and grandson of Archie Manning, appeared in two games during his 2023 season with the Longhorns. The former five-star recruit threw his first career touchdown pass in Texas’ season opener this year against Colorado State but had only attempted 11 passes at the college level before Saturday.
“There’s obviously a lot to improve on and grow from, but I’m happy I got the chance to go in there and get hit again and feel what it’s like,” Manning said.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said the severity of Ewers’ injury “still needs more research” but noted they do not believe there is a fracture.
Texas wraps up its non-conference schedule on Saturday against UL Monroe before playing its first SEC Championship game at home against Mississippi State on Sept. 28. The Longhorns then get a week off before traveling to Dallas to face rival Oklahoma on Oct. 12.
“I think Quinn is in very good spirits,” Sarkisian said. “I spoke to him on the sidelines. He was playing very good football. I hope this is not a long-term injury and we get him back, because we need as many good, healthy players as possible on this journey we are on now.”
Ewers, who started 25 games for the Longhorns, missed two games in the 2023 season with a right shoulder injury and missed three games in 2022 after suffering a severe knee sprain.
After leading the program to a Big 12 title and an appearance in the College Football Playoffs last season, Ewers opted to bypass the NFL Draft and return to Texas to chase a national championship. Behind Ewers and Manning, Texas has another scholarship quarterback on its roster in freshman Trey Owens. The four-star quarterback made his career debut against UTSA and threw for 19 yards on 2-of-4 passes.
“Because Quinn has been through this, and I think the other injuries he’s had to his shoulder have been very structural and they’ve been contact-type injuries, I think he’s probably in a little bit of a better mood,” Sarkisian said. “We’ve got to do everything we can to get him as healthy as possible as quickly as possible.”
Ewers entered the weekend as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, ranked 5-1 on ESPN BET, after throwing for 246 yards and three touchdowns in a blowout win over No. 10 Michigan on Saturday. His odds increased to 18-1 Saturday night after the injury, while Manning’s Heisman odds have changed dramatically, dropping from 150-1 to 16-1 on ESPN BET.
Miami quarterback Cam Ward has emerged as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday at bookmakers. Ward is listed at 5½-1 on ESPN BET on Saturday night.
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