AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Longhorns will play their first-ever SEC football game without their starting quarterback.
Arch Manning is set to start Saturday's SEC opener against Mississippi State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, in what will be the sophomore sensation's second consecutive start as starter Quinn Ewers continues to rehabilitate an abdominal injury he suffered against UTSA in Week 3.
Manning made his first career start in Week 4 against Louisiana Monroe, leading the Longhorns to a suffocating 51-3 win despite a somewhat pedestrian stat line, as he finished 15-of-29 passing for 259 yards and two touchdowns in three quarters of play.
In two appearances so far this season, Manning has completed just under 62% of his passes, with seven touchdowns and two interceptions.
The apparent hope for the Longhorns is that Ewers can take this week and the upcoming open week to heal up, as the game against Mississippi State will be the Longhorns' last matchup before the team's SEC schedule begins to ramp up.
Following Week 5, the Longhorns will have a bye week before two crucial games in the middle of October. They will first face Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry on Oct. 12 in Dallas, before returning home to take on the powerhouse Georgia Bulldogs on Oct. 19 in what could be a preview of the SEC Championship.