Quinn Ewers injury opens door for Arch Manning to lead Texas in dominant win over UTSA

Texas Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers suffered a major setback with an injury, but backup Arch Manning shined in his place.

Quinn Ewers injury opens door for Arch Manning to lead Texas in dominant win over UTSA

Quinn Ewers injured against UTSA (Image via ESPN)

The Texas Longhorns suffered a massive blow after starting quarterback Quinn Ewers hurt himself while playing against UTSA. Arch Manning replaced him for the remainder of the game.

Texas led UTSA 14-0 at the start of the second quarter. Around the 12th-minute mark, Ewers took the snap on shotgun and gave the ball to his running back, who smashed into the scrimmage area.

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The stadium went numb instead of cheering for the play because fans saw Ewers go down and take his helmet off as the medical team ran in to check on him. Following the preliminary checkup, the doctors decided that it was the end of the game for the 21-year-old quarterback.

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The cameras caught Ewers slowly limping off to the sidelines with the help of the two physios. According to reports, he was in the medical tent for 10 minutes, receiving treatment.

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Arch Manning balled as Quinn Ewers watched from the sidelines

Later, Ewers came back out, but he came out wearing his street clothes instead of Texas gear, signaling that the injury might be serious. When the camera zoomed in on him, it noticed a bulge on the left pocket of his pants, which looked similar to the outline of an icepack.

While Quinn Ewers was in the tent, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian sent in Arch Manning for his first appearance of the season. Manning, the nephew of Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, threw a 12-yard touchdown on his first drive to Johntay Cook.

Quinn Ewers injury paves way Arch Manning for Texas as he dismantles UTSA
Quinn Ewers (Image via ESPN)

Then in the next drive, ran 67 yards (the highest by a Texas quarterback) for his first rushing touchdown for the Longhorns. Texas went into the halftime break leading UTSA by 28-7.

During halftime, Yahoo Sports Anwar Richardson spoke with Sarkisian, who revealed that Quinn Ewers has a strained abdomen.

On the field, Manning continued to dominate. He threw three additional touchdowns—51 yards to Isaiah Bond, 75 yards to Ryan Wingo, and Cook’s second TD of the day for 12 yards as Texas took a 49-7 lead.

Arch Manning finished the game with 9/12 for 223 passing yards. 4 passing touchdowns, 3 carries with the ball for 53 yards, and 1 rushing touchdown. Texas won the game 59-7 and are now 3-0 for the season.

Manning barely played in his rookie year in Texas because Ewers has been the preferred first choice since 2022. Before facing UTSA, Ewers completed 44 passes from 63 for 506 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 1 interception in 2 wins against Colorado State and Michigan Wolverines. He’s currently the early frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy.

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Ewers, in his previous two campaigns for the Longhorns, went 16-6 with a completion rating of over 62%. In 2023, he set the Big 12 record for most passing yards in a single conference championship game and was named the MVP of the conference.