AUSTIN, Texas -- Hours before over 102,850 burnt-orange-and white-clad fans filed into Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, the famous voice of the Longhorns held court outside the booth where he'd call the game a few hours later.
Craig Way, in a distinctive lilt that's guided Texas fans through the high peaks and deep valleys over 30 years, pondered what Arch Manning's hotly-anticipated first start would mean for the program.
"I think it's a preview of what Longhorn fans can expect from him in the future," Way said. "Even though the moment will come for Quinn (Ewers) to return to the job.
The Arch Manning era of Texas football did not begin Saturday, even if the college football media echo chamber at large made it feel that way. Texas versus ULM may have been marooned to ESPN+, but that didn't stop a weeklong content blietzkrieg of all things Manning -- though you can't blame an editor for feeding the beast -- debating and fawning over the quarterback with the most famous last name in the sport.
On a 96-degree September day, Texas fans generally agreed with the assertion that there's no actual quarterback competition as they gathered at tailgates and along Bevo Boulevard ahead of kickoff.
George Ramirez is a life-long Texas fan. "Forever," he says when asked how long he's rooted for the 'Horns. He came to the game rocking an Arch Manning No. 16 jersey and a giant Longhorn chain that draped from his neck past Manning's numerals.
He followed Manning's recruitment and bought an official Manning jersey as soon as he could. "But this thing sat in the closet for like two years," Ramirez said with a laugh.
Ramirez wears an Quinn Ewers jersey every other week. He fully expects Ewers to take the job back when he returns.
"(Quinn) is the one at the helm, and it's Quinn Ewers' team."
Nearby, junior finance major Dylan Woollard stands next to Smokey The Cannon, which the Texas Cowboys spirit group shoots off after every Longhorn score. The Cowboys are a more than 100-year-old service organization. Woollard is a member. He said Manning is, too.
Active players don't generally get to participate in the firing of the cannon; Colt McCoy memorably did during his final lap around DKR during Senior Night in 2009. But Woollard and all the other members of the Cowboys are excited to see one of their own out on the field.
"We have a little bit of a personal connection, which is always exciting," Woollard said. "But Arch is always getting the crowd hyped up. You can hear it yourself when you walk in the stadium. I'm excited. I don't think it's going to be permanent. I don't think he's taking away the QB1 spot from Quinn by any means."
Everybody had that sort of qualifier Saturday.
Perhaps they're taking cues from the top as Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian said of Ewers this week: "All the goals that he's had and that we've had for him coming into this season are still there for him. I think we have a national championship-caliber team, and he's the quarterback of the team."
The Manning family, like they have since Arch's down-low high school recruitment, seem content for Manning to avoid the spotlight as much as possible. Arch rarely did interviews as a high school athlete and his family rarely grants them. Reached Saturday with an interview request, family patriarch Archie Manning politely declined.
"Had so many interview requests this week and could not do them all –- so I didn't do any."
When Way thinks about hyped Texas quarterbacks over the last 30 years, he can really only compare this Ewers/Manning situation to the famous Major Applewhite/Chris Simmons quarterback controversy. Applewhite was the defending Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. Chris Simms was the son of an NFL legend and the No. 1 overall QB in the 1999 class.
The battle between Simms and Applewhite somehow defined a generation of Longhorn football and even split a locker room. There are no such issues this time around.
"Immediately there was that push and pull and there was a controversy," Way said of Applewhite versus Simms. "That doesn't exist right now. This is Quinn's team. Arch respects and likes it that way as well and is content to continue learning."
Grant Pinkerton, a Longhorn grad, is the pitmaster of Texas barbeque powerhouse Pinkerton's and a Forbes 30 Under 30 selection. He often serves BBQ to the Longhorns – mostly to the big fellas who protect the quarterback.
Pinkerton arrived at Texas in 2007 and says he can't remember a player hyped like Manning. Maybe Vince Young. As for Manning's first start, Pinkerton views it as a welcome change. Games against a program like Louisiana Monroe used to be no guarantee, at least in the post-Mack Brown era (and at least in the fatalist minds of Longhorn fans). Now these games are an opportunity for young players like Manning to eat reps without a sense of dread that something could go terribly wrong.
"It's a luxury of being good," Pinkerton said.
Dick Perrone has followed Texas football longer than perhaps anybody on campus Saturday afternoon. He started selling Coca-Cola's in DKR at age 11 and graduated from the school in 1967. He used to play poker with program legend James Street – a perfect 20-0 as Texas' starting QB – on 6th Street; a famed party district in downtown Austin.
Perrone, like everyone else, is intrigued by the Manning hype. Though he wonders what might happen if anything ever goes wrong.
"The name Manning carries a lot of weight out here," Perrone said. "They just clap and go crazy when he comes out. I'd hate to see him make a mistake. They don't think he can."
It's fair to say Manning's time to start came a little before anyone expected -- even the merch shop in front of DKR.
One fan, David Thompson, asked an employee, "Where are the Arch jerseys?" There were none in stock, only a few T-shirts tucked in the back corner of the store.
Thompson, a 2008 grad, came to the game with his family. He wanted to be part of history.
"I've got the program that's going to be his first start," Thompson said. "So, I'm going to get the rookie card, the program (and the jersey). I've got a picture of my ticket and I'm going to put it all on there and frame it up.
"Because he's going to be the No. 1 pick, for sure."
Hype, indeed.
Manning walked into the stadium wearing a dark blue suit, dapping up a few kids along the way. He did so to yells like, "Big 'ol Arch!" Any time his face popped up on the jumbotron in pre-game, the crowd went crazy. The biggest cheer came when a fan was shown holding a giant poster of Manning's now-famous Archibald Manning student ID, which he lost only a few days into his time in Austin.
Everything is bigger in Texas. Even your former student ID, at least if you're Arch.
Eventually, Manning ran out of the tunnel, of course to massive cheers, and his first start began. But really, it didn't feel like the start of anything. Everyone knows Manning is coming. But Saturday, more than anything, felt like a big Hollywood trailer of a movie coming out next year.
Coming next fall to a stadium near you, Arch Manning.
"It feels like the future," Ramirez said.
MORE: Recap Arch Manning's first career start with our live updates page
