An injury to Quin Evers raised the curtain on the Arch Manning program in Texas. The quarterback from one of football’s most storied families threw four touchdowns and ran 67 yards for another score after Evers in the second quarter to lead the No. 2 Longhorns to a 56-7 win over UTSA on Saturday night.
When Evers left with Texas (3-0) trailing 14-0, coach Steve Sarkisian said he was straining his abdominal muscles. Manning threw a 19-yard touchdown to DeAndre Moore on his first play, then broke off a long sprint on Texas’ next possession, with several UTSA (1-2) defenders chasing him.
“When the adrenaline kicks in, it helps you run a little faster,” Manning said.
Manning connected with Isaiah Bond for a 51-yard TD on Texas’ first series of the third quarter that made it 35-7. His next throw was a 75-yard deep strike TD to Ryan Wingo. He went 9 of 12 for 223 yards and left the game early in the fourth quarter after throwing his final touchdown pass to Johnte Cook II.
“It helps when you have great players and good coaches around you,” Manning said.
The five-star recruit with an NFL family pedigree is the nation’s top backup. With sharp passing and unexpected burst of speed, Manning has shown that he really does live up to the hype.
Manning is the son of Cooper Manning, grandson of Archie Manning, and nephew of Super Bowl-winning QBs Peyton and Eli Manning.
If Ewers is out long term, Texas still has time to develop Manning into a starter before the schedule gets too tough. Texas hosts Louisiana-Monroe next week and then opens their first SEC schedule at home against Mississippi State on Sept. 28. The Longhorns have a week off before their annual matchup with Oklahoma.
Texas did not immediately announce how long Evers, who entered the game as a Heisman Trophy favorite, would be out. Sarkisian noted that Ewers’ injury was not caused by contact.
“We have to look at the severity of it. We don’t think it’s structural or broken,” Sarkisian said.
Evers completed a 49-yard pass on a deep throw to tight end Gunner Helm, then handed off to Quintrevian Wisner. Evers eventually left the field, but his shirt was pulled over his face as he walked into the medical tent. He was on the sidelines in street clothes in the third quarter.
Manning called Evers one of his best friends on the team and noted that the two were roommates when the Longhorns stayed together the night before games.
“I learned a lot from him,” Manning said. “He was human to me and I hope he’s OK.”
Sarkisian praised Manning’s poise this time around.
“It’s tough when you have a backup that doesn’t have a ton of experience. Arch was our third guy last year,” Sarkisian said. “There’s nothing like being in the game. Playing in front of 105,000 people is no easy feat. I am very proud of Archana.
