JUST IN: Steve Sarkisian Gets Brutally Honest on Arch Manning’s First Career Start

On Saturday night, the Texas Longhorns played their first game in sixteen years as the No. 1 ranked team, with sophomore quarterback Arch Manning making his debut start. Manning stepped in for Quinn Ewers, who sustained an oblique injury during Texas’ win over UTSA the previous week.

As expected, the Longhorns dominated Louisiana Monroe, securing a 51-3 victory. Though Manning threw an interception on Texas’ opening drive, he recovered well, finishing with 258 yards and two touchdowns. While Manning rated his performance a C-plus, calling it “a win’s a win,” head coach Steve Sarkisian had a more positive take.

“No one expected him to have a flawless game,” Sarkisian said, according to Max Olson of ESPN.com. “I knew he’d prepare hard and play well, but there’d be some lessons, and that’s what tonight was about.”

The game plan involved Manning taking some deep shots, and he delivered with two 40-plus-yard completions to Isaiah Bond and Matthew Golden. Overall, Manning connected with 11 different receivers.

“Having so many talented guys around makes me more comfortable,” Manning said post-game. “We had a lot of receivers getting involved tonight. Just getting them the ball in space and letting them make plays is huge.”

Despite a couple of interceptions, Texas’ offense thrived without Ewers, amassing nearly 500 total yards and 26 first downs. However, the win doesn’t signal a quarterback controversy. Sarkisian made it clear earlier in the week that the starting job remains Quinn Ewers’ as he leads the Longhorns in their pursuit of a National Championship.