Texas got the result it needed, but the performance left plenty to chew on.
The Longhorns beat UTSA 30-6 to move to 3-0, yet the box score and the eye test told the same story: this was not a polished night for a No. 1 team. Texas struggled to generate anything consistent on offense, Arch Manning went through a shaky stretch after a strong opening, and the run game never really got going. The defense held up against a UTSA offense that was described as decent, but even that side of the ball couldn’t completely disguise how rough the overall showing was.
That’s the part that stands out most. Texas escaped with the win, and that matters first and foremost. But the way the Longhorns played also made one thing obvious: there’s a lot of work to do if this team wants to look like an SEC Championship-caliber group, let alone a national title contender.
Manning’s night summed up the inconsistency. He can flash like a star, and at times he did exactly that.
There were moments when he looked like the best player on the field, the kind of stretches that make the ceiling easy to see. But there were also too many snaps where the rhythm disappeared, the throws weren’t there, and the field didn’t seem to open up for him.
The numbers tell the story of that split. After a hot start, Manning’s last 20 throws of the game went for 7 completions on 20 attempts for 59 yards.
He finished 16-of-32 for 161 yards and 2 touchdowns, good for a 112.9 rating. That’s not disastrous, but it’s not close to enough for what Texas will need moving forward.
The bigger concern is that this wasn’t an isolated blip. Manning has shown the kind of talent that can take over games, but he’s also had too many stretches where he looks ordinary or worse.
He’s still missing too many throws and, at times, not seeing the field well enough. Nobody is writing him off.
But after a night like this, there’s no way around the fact that Texas needs a much sharper version of its quarterback - and soon.
And this was hardly a one-team problem. Around college football, the top programs have been getting dragged into uncomfortable games, and Texas fit that pattern here. The Longhorns were supposed to separate themselves from UTSA, not spend so much of the night fighting through an ugly slog.
Texas won. That part is done. But if the Longhorns want to play at the level their ranking demands, they’ll need to clean up a whole lot between now and the next kickoff.
In Other News...
Texas Heads Into SEC Play With One Big Offensive Concern
Texas finished its non-conference slate unbeaten and healthy after a 30-6 win over UTSA, and that alone is a useful place to be heading into SEC play. The Longhorns got the kind of defensive outing they have come to expect, holding the Roadrunners to 143 total yards, while Derrick Cooper Jr. added a fresh wrinkle in the backfield with 44 yards and a touchdown.
The bigger question sits on the other side of the ball, where Arch Mannings day underscored both the upside and the unevenness of the passing game. He threw for 161 yards and two touchdowns, but the rhythm was not always there, leaving Texas with a little bit to clean up before the competition gets much tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Suddenly Has A Major Defensive Concern Before Tennessee
Texas got a jolt of concern on the defensive side when Colin Simmons was spotted on the sideline in street clothes and wearing a walking boot during the UTSA game. Simmons has been a key edge rusher for the Longhorns, so even the sight of him away from the action immediately changed the temperature around a unit that has otherwise tried to build more depth at that spot this season.
Steve Sarkisian did not offer an update on Simmons at halftime, and no official information has been released since, leaving Texas with more questions than answers as Tennessee approaches next week. The Longhorns have worked to add depth at edge rusher, but losing or even limiting a player like Simmons would be a significant development for a defense that needs as many answers as it can get right now. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Win Over UTSA Still Left Fans With One Big Concern
Texas handled UTSA in a 30-6 non-conference win, and there were enough encouraging signs to make the afternoon feel like a step in the right direction. Arch Manning came out sharp enough to set the tone, the running game found some support from Hollywood Smothers, Raleek Brown and Derrek Cooper, and Cam Coleman finished as the top target with two touchdown catches. On the other side of the ball, Texas did what it was supposed to do, holding UTSA to 70 rushing yards and getting an interception from Rasheem Biles.
Still, the result did not erase the biggest question hovering over the Longhorns afterward. Manning's line finished at 164 passing yards with two touchdowns, but the inconsistency showed up often enough that it left fans wanting more than just a comfortable win over an overmatched opponent. For a Texas team with bigger goals ahead, the margin of victory was fine, yet the passing game still has to look a lot steadier before the schedule gets more demanding. [Read more 🡒]