Texas coach Steve Sarkisian announced Thursday that quarterback Arch Manning will start Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe. Incumbent starter Quinn Ewers, who Sarkisian labeled as "questionable" on Monday, suffered an abdominal injury in a Week 3 win over UTSA.
Sarkisian was not concerned about Ewers' long-term future, but the Longhorns will be cautious with SEC play looming in the coming weeks. This will be the first start of Manning's young career.
"I don't think he has to focus on leading right now," Sarkisian said of what to expect from Manning. "I think he needs to focus on knowing what he's supposed to do and playing at a high level ... But our focus has been on him playing good football, and the leadership stuff will come as it comes."
Manning excelled in his first real meaningful action, going 9 of 12 passing for 224 yards and four touchdowns while adding a fifth on the ground with a thunderous 67-yard scamper.
The nephew of legendary quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning signed with Texas in 2023 as the No. 1 player in his class. He was third string for a majority of his freshman season but appeared in two games, including the Big 12 Championship Game against Oklahoma State.
Chance to increase passing efficiency
Take a limited sample size for what it's worth, but Manning has been one of college football's most efficient passers this season. His 317.8 passing efficiency quite literally leads the FBS (15 passes minimum). His 17.7 yards per attempt leads the SEC. He even has more yards passing (318) than Kentucky's Brock Vandagriff (313 on 55 attempts) and almost as many as South Carolina starter LaNorris Sellers (393 on 53 pass attempts).
Though the Warhawks have one of the top scoring defenses in the nation after games against FCS Jackson State and UAB, their pass defense currently ranks eighth in the Sun Belt while allowing an average of 197 yards through the air. Jackson State quarterback Jacobian Morgan completed 23 of his 28 pass attempts for 228 yards and one touchdown in the season opener.
Athletic versatility on full display
Manning's 67 yarder wasn't just easy trot to the end zone. He made a smart read on an option play, outraced one defender to the edge, juked another out of his cleats past the first-down line, and then finished the play looking like the fastest person on the field.
He may well have been. He hit a top speed of 20.7 miles per hour on the touchdown run, akin to some of the top speedy skill position players in the NFL. Manning also had touchdown passes of 75 and 51 yards, for good measure.
CAN'T TOUCH HIM 😮💨@ArchManning pic.twitter.com/65nR57qIR5
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 15, 2024
Ewers should be good to go
It doesn't seem like this decision has any bearing on Ewers' future as he continues to progress with his injury.
"My decision is, I'm looking forward to his future as a player, but also to the future of the season for us and the longevity and getting him possibly one more week healthier for the long term," Sarkisian said. "I think it's good for us as we're getting ready for SEC play."
Texas has been in this situation before. A shoulder injury forced Ewers out of two games last season, allowing Maalik Murphy (now at Duke) to get extended playing time. Murphy threw three touchdowns and three picks against BYU and Kansas State, but the Longhorns won both games.
Ewers entered the UTSA game as the Las Vegas favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Sitting out one week won't hurt his chances too much; the Longhorns do open SEC play next week against Mississippi State and then have a bye before Oklahoma on Oct. 12.
"One thing I tried to impress upon Quinn is all the goals he had and that we've had for him coming into this season are all still there for him," Sarkisian said. "I think we have a national championship-caliber team, and he's the quarterback of that team, and I think we still have that in front of us to go do that."
