It was a fascinating glimpse. A fascinating glimpse. A brief window into the future.
Perhaps we'll see a longer look at Quinn Ewers over the next few weeks as he recovers from the abdominal strain he suffered in the first quarter against UTSA.
But the first impression is that Arch Manning was a great player. His first pass was a 19-yard touchdown pass. In his first start, he scored after 67 yards, something his famous uncles, Peyton and Eli, couldn't do even when they were at the peak of their athleticism. He threw a combined five touchdowns and 276 yards.
There were questions about Manning. Was he worth the fuss? Was he worth the lofty No. 1 ranking in the high school rankings? And, yes, it was custom made. Even if Ewers hadn't been injured, Manning likely would have played in the second half.
But think about it: In the first big moment of his collegiate career, he not only met the moment, he surpassed it.
Manning clearly has the game to live up to his famous last name. He has the arm strength of Eli and Peyton, and the athleticism they lacked. Rumor has it that his father, Cooper, was a better athlete than his brothers, enrolled at Ole Miss on scholarship as a receiver, but he never played there after he was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, ending his career early.
Predictably, the reaction was ecstatic. Social media was abuzz over the long touchdown run, which quickly went viral. ESPN's Paul Finebaum predicted that X would win the Heisman this season or possibly next season, something that Eli and Peyton missed out on. NFL fans, especially Giants supporters, were already posting to X that they would do everything in their power to get him next year.
The competition is set to intensify. Some will argue that if he performs well, he should keep the position. But don't expect a Wally Pipp-style situation. Ewers led Texas to the College Football Playoff last year and is a likely No. 1 pick in April's NFL draft.
Up next is another scapegoat, UL Monroe, where Manning is supposed to put on weight. After that, it gets more interesting: The SEC opener is against Mississippi State, followed by a Red River Rivals matchup against Oklahoma on Oct. 12 and then No. 1 Georgia visits Austin on Oct. 19. It's unclear how long Ewers will miss; the abdominal sprain could be several weeks.
For the foreseeable future, Texas is Manning's team, and he showed Saturday that he's up to the task.
Kent's coach said:
Kentucky played a great game. Their defense held Georgia to 262 yards of offense. The Wildcats rushed for 170 yards against a Bulldogs defense loaded with NFL prospects. They held up to one of the best teams in the country.
It's unfortunate for the Wildcats that coach Mark Stoops adopted the old Herm Edwards strategy to not lose. Just one week after a brutal 25-point loss to South Carolina, Stoops coached with fear despite having a chance to pull off a stunning upset. He was a conservative coach, and unsurprisingly, they lost 13-12.
Late in the first half, Kentucky had a first down at Georgia's 14-yard line with nine seconds left, more than enough time for a shot in the end zone, and Stoops opted for a field goal. The Wildcats drove to the Georgia 22 on their first possession after halftime. On fourth down and two, Stoops called for another field goal.
And then the coup de grace. Down by one, 2:57 left. Fourth down and eight at the Georgia 47. What does Stoops do? Punt. Kentucky gets the ball back with nine seconds left. His guys deserved better.
Groupthink
The battle for a spot in the Group of Five in the playoffs is shaping up to be quite interesting. Three teams to watch are UNLV from the Mountain West, Northern Illinois and Toledo from the MAC. On Saturday, UNLV upset Kansas and Toledo stunned Mississippi State. Both teams are 3-0 with road wins. UNLV's next opponent will surprise Syracuse at home. Meanwhile, Northern Illinois is on a one-game break after their shock win at Notre Dame. They will host Toledo on October 19th. Any of these schools could be the first Cinderella in the 12-team playoffs.
