Arch Manning impresses in his first college start, Texas rolls through

But as expected, Manning – the son of Cooper Manning, the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and the nephew of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning – turned it on from there, leading Texas to a 51-3 victory at Darrel K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas.

In his milestone victory, Manning completed 15 of 29 passes for 259 yards, scoring two touchdowns and throwing two interceptions.

He left the game early in the fourth quarter after Jaydon Blue's final touchdown. Blue had an impressive running game with 25 carries for 124 yards and three touchdowns.

“It was great to have Jaydon Blue back,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “He's a weapon. He can get to the rim, but a lot of his yards are between the tackles.”

As for Manning, he came off the bench last week and threw five touchdowns to lead the Longhorns to a blowout victory over UTSA after Quinn Ewers, a Heisman Trophy contender, left the team in the preseason with an oblique injury.

But this time it wasn't so sharp.

Manning, who forced several throws into double and triple coverage, gave himself a grade of “C+” in his first college football appearance.

“Obviously there's still a lot to improve, things I want back, but it's a good first win,” Manning said.

Sarkisian said it was another learning experience for the young quarterback, who was not afraid to throw long passes or other throws.

“He took his shots. We hit them and missed a few,” Sarkisian said. “Lessons learned. That's what tonight was about.”

Texas played its final non-conference game before beginning its first SEC schedule next week at home against Mississippi State.

“The preseason is over,” said Sarkisian, who hinted that Ewers will return to the starting lineup once he's healthy. “We don't have to do anything different. The guys know that if we do it right, we can play at a pretty high level.”

The Longhorns also received some hopeful news regarding Ewers' injury status on Saturday.

According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, Ewers is on track to return in a few weeks for the Red River rivalry game against Oklahoma on October 12.

“The overwhelming expectation is that, barring any setbacks, he will be back in the game,” Thamel said. said on the station’s “College GameDay” show.

If that's the case, it would mean Manning could face Mississippi State again next week, after which Texas will have a bye before a showdown with Oklahoma.

On the first drive after Manning's early interception, the redshirt freshman completed a seven-play, 77-yard drive that gave the Longhorns a 7-0 lead, culminating in a 56-yard pass to Isaiah Bond and capped off by a one-yard run by the Blues.

Manning had just started.

After the Texas defense gave Manning a short field following an interception, he went back to work and finished a four-play, 13-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Blue to give the Longhorns a 14-0 lead.

After UL-Monroe was forced to punt, Manning threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to star receiver Ryan Wingo, capping a six-play, 73-yard drive that extended Texas' lead to 21-0 in the first quarter.

Manning didn't stop in the second quarter.

He led Texas on a 12-play, 87-yard drive that featured a 46-yard pass to Matthew Golden and a 19-yard run to Bond, capped by a 2-yard run by Blue.

After the Warhawks scored their first points on a field goal, Manning got the ball back, but this time it was intercepted by Wydett Williams Jr., giving UL-Monroe good field position.

The loss of the ball did not prove costly, however, as the Longhorns blocked Max Hunter's 42-yard field goal attempt to end the half.

Manning finished the half 11 of 21 for 214 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Manning and the Longhorns scored another touchdown in the third quarter, thanks largely to the strength of Blue and the running game, to take a 35-3 lead.

Texas then brought in a safety and went into the fourth quarter with a 37-3 lead.

The Longhorns scored a quick touchdown early in the fourth quarter when Manning extended their lead to 44-3 with a nine-play, 63-yard drive that included a mix of running and passing before leaving the game.

Later in the final stanza, the Longhorns took a 51-3 lead after a 10-play, 57-yard drive that consisted entirely of runs.