Make no mistake: Arch Manning is back.
Entering the season without the sky-high expectations he had last year — he isn’t even a preseason All-American after being the 2025 Heisman betting favorite — Manning showed on Saturday that maybe he’s been dropped a bit too far.
Against a Texas State team making its debut in the new-look Pac-12, Manning threw four touchdown passes for 301 yards and completed 74% of his passes as the No. 5 Longhorns demolished the Bobcats 59-7 in Austin, Texas.
He exited midway through the third quarter as Texas cleared its bench up 42.
Texas opened the game with a quick scoring drive — a 45-yard run by Hollywood Smothers, two more combining for five yards and culminating in a six-yard touchdown pass to Cam Coleman for Manning and the Longhorns’ first score of the season.
Manning got more action on the second possession, when he completed six of his seven passes to lead yet another touchdown drive, capped by an eight-yard pass to Ryan Wingo.
The Manning-Coleman connection again proved to be the central core of the Longhorns’ offense. Standing on Texas’ 27-yard line in the third quarter, Manning perfectly dimed a running Coleman nearly 50 yards downfield. Coleman nearly had a chance to score if not for a Bobcats receiver who was able to tackle him by the ankle.
It was just a small delay — Manning found Coleman for a 20-yard touchdown pass on third down.
“It’s nice to have Cam Coleman on your team,” Manning said. “You throw it to a certain spot, only he can get it.”
Manning ended his day with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Smothers as he exited the game with a 49-7 lead.
Manning’s flashiest highlight and darkest lowlight came within minutes of each other in the second quarter. At third-and-15 with Texas at risk of punting for the first time, Manning found Wingo deep in Texas State territory for a 45-yard pass, his longest of the night.
Manning targeted Wingo again on second-and-goal, throwing an absolute laser to the waiting receiver in the end zone, but Wingo bobbled it. He then sent his next pass directly into triple coverage for his lone interception — one of his only mistakes of the afternoon.
Manning and the Longhorns step up in class in Week 2 when they next play host to No. 1 Ohio State, whom they lost to in the 2025 season opener. The Buckeyes shut down Manning and Texas last season, but this may be a version of Manning they haven’t seen before.
