It wasn’t pretty by any means. Uncharacteristic, sloppy play at the start kept the Bulldogs around for longer than desired. But in the end, talent and play calling prevailed for the Texas Longhorns as they opened SEC play against Mississippi State.
Without starting QB Quinn Ewers, who missed his second straight game as he continues to nurse the abdominal strain he suffered against UTSA, Longhorn redshirt freshman QB Arch Manning made his second straight start of the season.
Let’s dive into how Arch and the Longhorns performed in their first conference game as members of the SEC.
#1 Texas 35 – 13 Mississippi State
Saturday’s game between the Longhorns and Bulldogs started off slower than expected. The only scoring in the first quarter came from RB Jaydon Blue, who punched in a 1-yard run to get the Longhorns on the board first.
Offensive Woes
This would be the highlight of Blue’s afternoon, as he was benched in the third quarter after his second fumble the day. Blue was benched for RB Quintrevion Wisner, who finished the day with 13 carries for 88 yards.
Blue, who exploded for 4 TDs a week prior against UL Monroe, made himself available for the media after the game and took responsibility:
Fortunately for Blue, the Longhorns need him. After injuries to Baxter and Clark, Blue and Wisner have shared and will continue to share the running workload for a team desperate and hungry to make noise this season.
After Blue’s first fumble prevented the Longhorns from scoring, WR Johntay Cook dropped a perfect deep ball from Manning that would’ve been an easy score for the Longhorns.
Texas went into halftime with a 14-6 lead that easily could’ve and should’ve been 28-6.
Manning Cleans Things Up
On the bright side for the Texas offense, Arch Manning looked a lot sharper and cleaner than he did a week prior. Following his 2 TDs and 2 interceptions against UL Monroe, Arch completed 26 of his 31 passes for 324 yards and 2 TDs. Both touchdowns went to sophomore WR DeAndre Moore Jr., who finished with 103 receiving yards.
Of all the QBs that took the field in Week 5, Arch had the highest grade (94.2) per PFF.
Arch’s pocket presence was a lot better this week and he seemed more comfortable running the offense and making reads while also taking the big shots when needed.
I would imagine that week-by-week Arch will continue to improve. However, with a bye week coming up for the Longhorns followed by Red River and Georgia, it plays out nicely for Quinn Ewers to make his return for Red River, barring any setbacks.
Bye Week Followed by Red River Showdown
The Longhorns start the season 5-0 for the second straight season and will have a bye week before entering the most important 2-game stretch of their season: 10/12 vs. Oklahoma and 10/19 vs. Georgia.
With both teams already registering losses this year, playing an undefeated top-5 Texas team is the perfect chance for them to redeem themselves and add a quality win to their resume.
Texas, on the other hand, will look to avenge last year’s upset loss to Oklahoma that almost kept them out of the CFP.
With both Texas and Oklahoma coming off a bye and hungry to beat their bitter rival, October 12th in Dallas should be quite the showdown.
