Arch Manning’s first game as Texas’ starting quarterback got off to a rocky start.
But it didn’t last long.
Manning was picked off by UL-Monroe’s Carl Fauntroy on the first possession of Saturday night’s game.
But, as expected, Manning — the son of Cooper Manning, the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, and the nephew of Super Bowl-winning QBs Peyton and Eli Manning — turned it on from there and led Texas to a 51-3 rout at Darrel K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas..
Manning was 15-for-29 for 259 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in his milestone win.
He left the game early in the fourth quarter after Jaydon Blue’s final touchdown. Blue had an impressive game on the ground with 25 carries for 124 yards and three touchdowns.
“It was great to have Jaydon Blue back,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “He’s a weapon. He can get to the edge, but a lot of his yards are between the tackles.”
As for Manning, he came off the bench and threw five touchdowns last week to lead the Longhorns to a blowout win over UTSA after preseason Heisman Trophy contender Quinn Ewers left with an oblique injury.
But he wasn’t as sharp in this one.
Manning, who forced some throws into double and triple coverage, gave himself a “C-plus” grade in his first college football start.
“Obviously there’s a lot to improve on, stuff that I want back, but it’s a good first win,” Manning said.
Sarkisian said it was another learning experience for the young quarterback, who wasn’t afraid to throw the deep ball or any other throw.
“He took his shots. We hit them and missed a couple,” Sarkisian said. “Lessons learned. That’s what tonight was about.”
Texas played its final non-conference game before it starts its first SEC schedule at home next week against Mississippi State.
“The preseason is over,” said Sarkisian, who suggested Ewers will return to the starting role when healthy. “We don’t need to do anything different. The guys know that when we do it right, we can perform at a pretty high level. ”
The Longhorns also received some hopeful news on Saturday regarding Ewers’ injury status.
Ewers is on track to return in a couple of weeks for the Red River rivalry game against Oklahoma on Oct. 12, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
“The overwhelming expectation is that he will be back in that game barring any setbacks,” Thamel said on the network’s “College GameDay” show.
If that’s the case, that would mean Manning would get one more start next week against Mississippi State. After that, Texas has a bye before heading into its showdown vs. Oklahoma.
On the first drive after Manning’s early interception, the redshirt freshman engineered a seven-play, 77-yard drive to give the Longhorns a 7-0 lead, which was highlighted by a 56-yard pass to Isaiah Bond and capped off by a Blue’s one-yard run.
Manning was just getting started.
After Texas’ defense provided Manning with a short field after an interception, he went back to work, finishing off a four-play, 13-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Blue to give the Longhorns a 14-0 lead.
After UL-Monroe was forced to punt, Manning connected with star freshman receiver Ryan Wingo for a 17-yard touchdown pass, which capped off a six-play, 73-yard drive and extended Texas’ first-quarter lead to 21-0.
Manning didn’t stop in the second quarter.
He led Texas on a 12-play, 87-yard drive which was highlighted by a 46-yard pass to Matthew Golden and a 19-yard strike to Bond, capped by a 2-yard run by Blue.
After the Warhawks kicked a field goal for their first points, Manning got the ball back, but this time was picked off by Wydett Williams Jr., giving UL-Monroe good field position.
But the turnover didn’t prove costly as the Longhorns blocked Max Hunter’s 45-yard field goal attempt to close out the half.
Manning closed out the half 11 of 21 for 214 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Manning and the Longhorns scored another touchdown in the third quarter, primarily on the strength of Blue and the running game to take a 35-3 lead.
Texas then added a safety to take a 37-3 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Longhorns scored a quick touchdown early in the fourth as Manning engineered a nine-play 63-yard drive, which included a mix of run and passes, to extend their lead to a 44-3 bulge, and he exited the game after that.
Later in the final stanza, the Longhorns took a 51-3 lead after a 10-play, 57-yard drive on all runs.
