Texas star quarterback Quinn Ewers exited the Longhorns' 56-7 win over UTSA on Saturday with what coach Steve Sarkisian deemed a strained abdomen and an oblique strain. Ewers was replaced by backup signal caller Arch Manning in the second quarter and his status remains up in the air heading into a stretch that will see the No. 2 Longhorns face Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State the next two weeks before the meat of the SEC schedule begins after a bye week.
"Oblique strain, abdomen strain," Sarkisian said postgame, adding the injury came "on just an odd play."
Sarkisian said he doesn't think there is any structural damage for Ewers and it remains to be seen how much time, if any, the Texas signal-caller misses. Ewers spent about 15 minutes in the medical tent before leaving the field and walking to the tunnel with a towel over his head midway before halftime. He rejoined the team on the sidelines in street clothes.
Ewers began the day as the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy on the heels of a masterful three-touchdown dissection of then-No. 9 Michigan in Ann Arbor.
In Ewers' absence, Manning shined in his extended run. The No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2023 finished the game by completing nine of 12 attempts for 223 yards and four touchdowns. Manning tossed a 19-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Moore Jr. on his first play from scrimmage and added a 67-yard touchdown run before the end of the first half -- the longest touchdown run by a Texas quarterback since Vince Young.
"You never know as a backup when you're going to be put in the game," Sarkisian said postgame. "For him to come in on his first play to hit DeAndre Moore for the touchdown ... That was great experience for him that he got."
Dating back to the 2022 campaign, Texas is 4-1 in games Ewers did not start because of injury, which doesn't include a 20-19 loss to Alabama in 2022 that saw Ewers exit the game in the first quarter with an injury. Ewers missed two games last season with an AC joint sprain.
"I think our (QB) room is in good shape," Sarkisian said.
No. 2 Texas has a manageable stretch for the next several weeks, with games against Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State on the slate before its bye week. The Longhorns face Oklahoma on Oct. 12 before facing Georgia in Austin on Oct. 19.
Manning, perhaps due to his popularity, soared to No. 7 in 2024 Heisman Trophy odds according to various sportsbooks.