After Quinn Ewers and the Texas Longhorns defeated Colorado State in their season opener, head coach Steve Sarkisian decided to give second-year quarterback Arch Manning some playing time.
Manning, the nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning, did not disappoint in his first snaps of the new year.
Manning completed 5 of 6 passes for 95 yards with a touchdown pass, the first of his college career, as the Longhorns demolished the Rams, 52-0, to start the season on the right foot.
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Arch Manning of the Texas Longhorns throws a pass before a game against the Colorado State Rams at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in August 2024, in Austin, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
But Manning didn't just reach the end zone through the air, he ran for his first rushing touchdown.
With the score 38-0 late in the third quarter, Manning was leading the Longhorns' offense on third-and-goal from the 5-yard line when he received the ball. As he scanned the field, he stepped up into the pocket and looked like he was going to try to score himself.
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However, as he dove to the right, he saw Silas Bolden alone near the right sideline. Manning shoveled a pass to Bolden. After catching the ball, Bolden dove into the end zone for the score.
Manning then found himself at the 1-yard line on fourth-and-goal in the fourth quarter when he took a quarterback sneak right in the gut for a touchdown, Texas' final score of the day.
Manning was quick to celebrate with his teammates, and the ESPN broadcast showed footage of Texas fans in the stands cheering. Some of the fans held signs with Manning's student ID on them. He lost his ID on campus during his freshman year, and it went viral on social media.
Manning, the five-star recruit out of Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans — the same school where his father, Cooper Manning, and uncles starred — played in just two games for the Longhorns last season with Ewers as the team's starter.
Arch Manning of the Texas Longhorns arrives before a game against the Colorado State Rams at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on August 31, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Ewers remains the starter for head coach Steve Sarkisian after opting to return following a College Football Playoff loss to Washington, and he was productive in Saturday's win, completing 20 of 27 passes for 260 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
Manning was the Longhorns' third quarterback on the depth chart last season, but with Maalik Murphy's transfer to Duke, he is now Ewers' backup.
Ewers will remain Texas' starter, but with performances like this, Manning should get more opportunities in blowout situations this season.
Manning may not be a starter, but many college football fans are waiting for the moment when he can be a starter in Central Texas. Many believed he would leave for another school through the transfer portal.
Arch Manning of the Texas Longhorns throws a pass before a game against the Colorado State Rams at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on August 31, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
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Manning is currently in a position to start for Texas next season and Ewers is expected to leave for the NFL after this year.
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