Arch Manning passed for four touchdowns and ran 67 yards for another in relief of the injured Quinn Ewers as No. 2 Texas flew past UTSA 56-7 on Saturday night in Austin, Texas.
Manning went 9 of 12 for 223 yards in about two quarters of play in the most extensive action of the highly touted redshirt freshman’s career as the Longhorns (3-0) dominated from start to finish.
Ewers was 14 of 16 passing for 185 yards, two TDs and an interception in just over a quarter of play before sustaining a strained abdomen. He spent about 15 minutes in the Longhorns’ medical tent before going to the Texas locker room and returning to the field in street clothes before halftime.
That set the stage for Manning, and he impressed. Texas rang up a 614-260 advantage in total yardage.
Owen McCown led UTSA (1-2) with 132 yards passing while Robert Henry Jr. had 65 yards rushing on six carries.
Ewers led the Longhorns to a pair of touchdown drives in the first quarter while connecting with eight different receivers. The first ended in a 7-yard TD pass to Isaiah Bond with 9:27 left in the quarter and he later tossed a 19-yard scoring strike to Johntay Cook II and a 14-0 lead with six seconds remaining.
Ewers left the game early in the second quarter with a strained abdomen one snap after throwing a 49-yard pass to tight end Gunnar Helm. Manning went right to work, hitting DeAndre Moore Jr. with a 19-yard touchdown pass on his first snap from scrimmage to move the Texas lead to 21-0 with 12:10 to play before halftime.
Henry Jr. answered for the Roadrunners on the ensuing possession with a 53-yard TD run. Manning then ripped off a 67-yard scoring run to push Texas back in front by three touchdowns.
Manning flexed in the first four minutes of the third quarter, passing 51 yards to Bond for a score on Texas’ first possession and opening the second with a 75-yard TD pass to Ryan Wingo.
Bond finished the game with 103 yards receiving on five catches. Freshman Jerrick Gibson ran for 75 yards in 13 carries to lead the Longhorns.
The Longhorns added to their lead early in the fourth quarter with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Cook and finished the scoring with a 30-yard pick-six by defensive end Ethan Burke.
