Texas fans held their breath on Saturday night when star quarterback Arch Manning took a bone-rattling hit against the UTSA Roadrunners. Midway through the second quarter, the star signal-caller got popped so hard his helmet popped right off his head and bounced across the turf at Royal-Memorial Stadium. For a few seconds, 100,000 people inside the stadium feared the worst.
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Social media immediately erupted with panic as Manning looked like he had just woken up in another dimension after getting sandwiched by two UTSA defenders in the second quarter with 4:10 minutes left on the clock.
Thankfully, the Longhorns dodged a huge bullet. Manning managed to walk away from the hit without what could have been a season-ending injury, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
But the hit was also a sign of a bigger problem for Texas. The Longhorns’ offensive line had a rough night and looked nothing like the unit that kept Manning clean against Ohio State the week before. Texas gave up just one sack, but that number doesn’t tell the whole story. UTSA’s front seven still managed to put plenty of pressure on the young quarterback throughout the night.
The protection broke down at some key moments, leaving Manning exposed to an aggressive pass rush that clearly wasn’t afraid to come after him. Manning also has to learn from moments like this.
The former five-star quarterback needs to do a better job of sliding and protecting his body, especially in a non-conference game where taking unnecessary hits can be a costly risk. The hit appeared to shake Manning’s rhythm as well.
Before getting sandwiched by the two defenders, he looked comfortable in the pocket. Afterward, things changed quickly. Manning went 0-for-5 passing immediately after the hit and finished the game completing just 17 of his 33 attempts. It was a tough stretch for the young quarterback and a reminder that even the most talented players can lose their rhythm when a defense starts getting consistent pressure.
Still, Manning found other ways to help Texas win. When the passing game wasn’t clicking, he used his legs to make plays. Manning finished with 50 rushing yards on nine carries, repeatedly escaping pressure and picking up important yards with his feet. He also connected with star wide receiver Cam Coleman for two touchdowns.
By the time the final whistle sounded, Texas had secured a comfortable 30-6 victory and improved to 3-0 on the season. Manning finished with 164 passing yards and 214 total yards of offense, doing enough to help the Longhorns take care of business.
But despite the 24-point win, there was probably more relief than celebration around Austin. Texas had just watched its young quarterback take a frightening hit, and the biggest positive was simply seeing Manning walk away from it and finish the game.
Now, the Longhorns have a much bigger challenge waiting for them. Texas is preparing to enter the brutal part of its SEC schedule, and the offensive line will need to clean things up quickly. The coaching staff has an entire week to figure out what went wrong and make sure Manning isn’t taking those kinds of hits every Saturday.
Because the next test won’t be nearly as forgiving. On Saturday, September 26, Texas travels to Knoxville to face the Tennessee Volunteers. Playing in front of a loud SEC crowd is difficult enough. Doing it while struggling to protect your quarterback could make things even tougher.