Texas quarterback Arch Manning entered Saturday’s game for the No. 1 Longhorns as they faced a 20-0 deficit against No. 5 Georgia. Manning, a former No. 1 overall recruit, has started two games for the Longhorns this season as starter Quinn Evers recovers from injury.
After Evers left with an abdominal injury, Manning stepped in and led the Longhorns to a 2-0 record as a starter. In his SEC debut, Manning completed 26 of 31 passes for 325 yards and two touchdowns and added another score on the ground in a 35–13 win over Mississippi State. On the season, Manning completed 71% of his passes for 901 yards and 12 total touchdowns.
Since returning against Oklahoma, Evers has struggled to regain his form. Texas had just 15 yards on 22 plays when Evers was pulled in favor of Manning. He was sacked three times and Texas sat on a negative rush. Against the Sooners, he threw an interception on his first drive and fell short of clearing 200 yards in the performance.
While Manning doesn’t bring the experience of Evers, he is a very dynamic downfield passer and adds more to the quarterback’s running game. Since 2006, Darrell K. Texas’ highly rated offensive line struggles to contain Georgia’s dynamic lead in the first five-on-five matchup at Royal Stadium.
Texas has won all of its games by at least 19 points this season, including a road contest against Michigan and a 31-point victory over Oklahoma. However, the resume has gotten less impressive since the Sooners and Wolverines lost key matchups in Week 8. Evers has historically been strong against top-five opponents.
