There's no question that Arch Manning is talented, but until Saturday night, there was also no question about his role.
Manning committed to Texas knowing he would be Quinn Ewers' backup and heir to the throne.
But for the first time since the two wore orange and white uniforms, Ewers replaced Manning on the bench, officially sparking a quarterback controversy.
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Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers of the Texas Longhorns speak on the field before a game at Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas on October 12, 2024. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
Toward the end of the second half, with the Longhorns trailing 20-0 and Ewers already turning the ball over twice, Sarkisian made a wild move to bring in Manning for the final two series of the second half.
Sure, Manning played very well while Ewers was injured, but Ewers is probably a first-round pick. Still, Sarkisian thought it was a good idea to let him sit.
Ewers finished the game from the start of the second half, but couldn't avoid questions.
But Sarkisian said this was more of a strategy that would benefit Ewers and not necessarily bring in a better player (it didn't help that Texas didn't score with Manning on the field). Ta)
Arch Manning of the Texas Longhorns runs the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Oct. 19, 2024. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
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“I was just trying to calm Quinn down a little bit, try to give us a little bit of a boost,” Sarkisian said after the game. “We've got to get out of our ways. We're not playing very well as a unit right now. Thankfully, our defense is putting out our fires. Masu.”
However, Sarkisian shut down questions about whether there was a quarterback battle.
“Quinn is our starting quarterback,” he said.
“We're thankful we're fortunate to have backup players like Arch who can come in and inspire us in a way, but at the end of the day, Quinn is our starter.”
Quinn Ewers of the Texas Longhorns vs. Georgia Bulldogs on October 19, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
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Ewers completed 25 of 43 passes for 211 yards, two touchdowns, one interception and one fumble, while Manning completed 3 of 6 for 32 yards. But nothing was enough for Texas, who lost 30-15 to No. 5 Georgia.
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