Subscribe
Follow Us
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian has been careful to ensure that there is no brewing quarterback controversy in Austin, but as the weeks go on, it's inevitable that if Arch Manning continues to fill in and lead the Longhorns to wins while Quinn Ewers remains sidelined, more and more folks will want to have that conversation.
The good news for Sark and the Longhorns is that it's at least conceivable that Ewers will be able to return to the field this Saturday when Texas welcomes a struggling Mississippi State team to DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. But fans repping the burnt orange will need to wait another 24 hours before they find out if it will be Ewers or Manning who gets the start versus the Bulldogs.
“Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian said they will make a QB decision about Quinn Ewers on Friday,” tweets Anwar Richardson of OrangeBloods.com. “Sarkisian said Ewers has improved every day, Arch Manning has practiced well and Trey Owens had his best practice as a Longhorn on Thursday.”
Arch Manning made his first career start last week in a 51-3 win over Louisiana-Monroe, throwing for 258 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. It was a performance that Manning himself believed was a C-plus effort. The start came as a result of an abdominal injury that Ewers suffered in Texas' win the previous week over UTSA. At the time of the injury, Ewers was one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy at season's end and reportedly shooting up draft boards.
Through two and a half games in the 2024 season, Quinn Ewers had thrown for 691 yards, 8 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions while completing 73 percent of his pass attempts. It was the kind of start that Texas fans hoped for, highlighting the continued growth of their junior quarterback's game. Manning hasn't been nearly as crisp as his counterpart, but the Longhorns haven't needed him to be just yet. So far, Manning and the Longhorns could get by as long as he could successfully manage a game.
Against Mississippi State, that's all Texas would need of Arch Manning. But after Saturday's game against the Bulldogs, the schedule begins to get a lot tougher for the No. 1 team in the country. Following a Week 6 bye, the Longhorns return to action on Saturday October 12th in the 120th edition of the Red River Shootout. Just one week later, Texas will welcome Georgia to Austin in what could be a No. 1 versus No. 2 matchup.
At that point, Texas will need Arch Manning to be doing more than just managing a game. Or they'll need Quinn Ewers to be back without any limitations.
