Texas might have rolled over UTSA 30-6 on Saturday night in Austin, but don’t let that score fool you. The top-ranked Longhorns looked anything but crisp in what was supposed to be their final tuneup before SEC play, with senior quarterback Arch Manning taking big hits and struggling to find his rhythm against an American Athletic Conference contender.
Arch Manning Took a Beating, And It Showed
Dude, Arch Manning had a straight-up rugged night out there. He got roughed up by the Roadrunners’ defense, connecting on only half his throws, going 17 of 33 for just 164 yards total. In the second half, it was even worse, just 5 of 12 for a measly 45 yards. The guy even got sandwiched between UTSA defenders Darion White and Eddy Smith, and had his helmet knocked clean off! You know that hit rattled him, because after that, he missed his next five pass attempts. That is NOT the look you want from your senior quarterback, especially when you are the number one team in the nation.
Look, it wasn’t all bad. Manning did connect with Cam Coleman for two crucial first-half touchdowns. The first was a 24-yard post route after linebacker Rasheem Biles snagged an interception on UTSA’s first play. Then they teamed up again on a great 3-yard corner route to go up 17-3. Those were big, but those big hits and missed throws are a massive concern.
The Defense Stepped Up, But This Team Is Sloppy
While Manning was taking a beating, the Longhorns’ defense absolutely manhandled the Roadrunners. They held UTSA to a pathetic 70 yards of offense in the first half and only 100 through three quarters. Quarterback Owen McCown was limited to just 18 yards passing in the first two quarters. That kind of defensive performance is what you expect from a top-ranked team, harassing McCown all night long. Gianni Spetic added two field goals for Texas, including a monster 52-yarder, though he did miss a 36-yarder where he got roughed.
True freshman Derrek Cooper muscled his way in from the 1-yard line for his first touchdown as a Longhorn, capping a 66-yard drive late in the fourth. That pretty much wrapped things up. Texas even scored on six straight possessions, dating back to the Ohio State game. But let’s be real, this was anything but a crisp, impressive showing overall. They struggled to put UTSA away, and the Roadrunners actually had almost as many penalty yards (115) as offensive yards (142), getting flagged 12 times! Texas left points on the board too. This win was a definite step up from last week’s two turnovers on the first five plays against Ohio State, but still, this was sloppy.
Next up, the Longhorns leave DKR for the first time this year and head to Tennessee to kick off their SEC schedule. This kind of showing just won’t cut it against SEC competition. They better clean it up fast, or that No. 1 ranking is gonna disappear quicker than Manning’s helmet.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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