Arch Manning's 1st start 'a C-plus,' but No. 1 Texas cruises

                               Arch Manning's 1st start 'a C-plus,' but No. 1 Texas cruises

AUSTIN, Texas – In his first career start for Texas, Arch Manning threw for 258 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions, leading the No. 1 Longhorns to a dominant 51-3 win over UL Monroe. Manning stepped in for the injured starter Quinn Ewers, pushing Texas to a 4-0 record.

After an interception on his opening drive, Manning found his rhythm, guiding Texas to touchdowns on six of his 10 drives, giving the team a 44-3 lead before he exited in the fourth quarter. The redshirt freshman completed 15 of 29 pass attempts.

Reflecting on his performance, Manning acknowledged there were several throws he'd like to have back, especially the first interception, a pressured second-down pass picked off by ULM's Carl Fauntroy just three minutes into the game.

When asked to grade his outing, Manning said, "Probably a C-plus, but a win's a win."“To expect him to come out and play a perfect game, I don’t think anyone here thought that,” said Texas coach Steve Sarkisian. “I knew he would prepare well, work hard, and do everything he could to play good football. He was bound to learn some lessons tonight, and I think that’s exactly what happened.”

In their first game as the No. 1-ranked team in the AP Top 25 since 2008, Manning had plenty of support. Running back Jaydon Blue rushed for 124 yards and scored four total touchdowns, while Texas' defense held General Booty and the Warhawks (2-1) to just 111 total yards and 2.2 yards per play.

Sarkisian explained the game plan was for Manning to be aggressive, taking deep shots against ULM's defense. The former five-star recruit had success, completing eight passes of 15 or more yards, including a 56-yard bomb to Isaiah Bond and a 46-yarder to Matthew Golden. Manning connected with 11 different receivers throughout the game.“Having so many playmakers around definitely boosts my comfort level,” Manning said. “We had a lot of different receivers catching passes tonight. Getting them in space and letting them make plays is huge.”

Ewers left Texas' 56-7 win over UTSA last week due to an oblique strain. His status remains day-to-day, and he may return for the Longhorns' SEC debut against Mississippi State next week. In Ewers' absence, Manning earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors, producing 276 total yards and five touchdowns against UTSA.

Following their first SEC game, the Longhorns will have a bye week before facing No. 15 Oklahoma and No. 2 Georgia in back-to-back weeks.

A Texas team with national championship aspirations has lived up to expectations through four games, outscoring opponents 190-22. Their toughest test came in a 31-12 road win against then-No. 10 Michigan. With 16 wins in their last 18 games, Sarkisian expressed confidence in his team's talent, depth, and maturity, believing they're built to compete in the SEC.

"I'm pleased with where we are, but like I told the team: the mission is far from over," Sarkisian said. "We’ve got a lot of work ahead and some big games to come."