Texas gets a different kind of exam Saturday night.
After one of the loudest wins of the young college football season, the No. 1 Longhorns return to Austin to face unbeaten UTSA in a game that asks less about talent and more about control. Texas is 2-0 after erasing a 20-point deficit to beat Ohio State 24-23, and UTSA comes in at 2-0 as well.
The spotlight starts with Arch Manning. Texas needs him back in a clean, steady rhythm after a week in which plenty of the attention drifted away from football.
Manning was named SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week after the comeback in Columbus, and through two games he has thrown for 500 yards. Steve Sarkisian wants the same thing now that he has wanted all along: a quarterback who is decisive, accurate and careful with the ball before conference play picks up.
Sarkisian has kept hammering one theme, and it fits this matchup perfectly: “staying in the moment,”
That message matters even more when the opponent is one Texas is expected to handle.
There should be room for the Longhorns to lean on the run game, too. Hollywood Smothers leads Texas with 144 rushing yards, and the offensive line came away with a positive showing against Ohio State. UTSA has had trouble slowing down the run early, which gives Texas a path to control the game physically rather than putting the whole burden on Manning.
When UTSA has the ball, the matchup gets more interesting.
Owen McCown gives the Roadrunners something underdogs need badly: a quarterback with experience. The son of longtime NFL quarterback Josh McCown is in his third season as UTSA’s starter and has built a reputation for taking care of the football. That creates a real test for a Texas defense that wants to force mistakes.
Will Muschamp’s group will need to bring pressure without getting reckless. UTSA’s best shot at staying in range is to keep possessions alive and avoid giveaways.
Jeff Traylor is not pretending otherwise.
“We’re going to go play the No. 1 team in the country,” Traylor said this week. “Our kids are excited about it.”
Texas has won both previous meetings, including a 56-7 win in 2024. Still, the biggest challenge Saturday may come from inside the Longhorns’ own building.
If Texas starts fast, wins up front and protects the football, the night could get comfortable in a hurry. If not, UTSA has enough at quarterback to make things interesting.
In Other News...
Steve Sarkisians Two ESPN Interviews Have Texas Fans Saying The Same Thing
Steve Sarkisian left Columbus with a marquee win and, for Texas fans, a couple of television moments that were almost as memorable for how they unfolded as for what was said. During the Longhorns comeback against Ohio State, ESPN caught Sarkisian in two awkward sideline spots, first at halftime with Laura Rutledge and then again after the game with Holly Rowe, giving viewers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how chaotic a big road win can feel in real time.
The halftime interview never really got going because of technical issues, and Rutledge later clarified what went wrong while noting Sarkisian handled the delay patiently. The postgame exchange took a different turn, ending abruptly when Sarkisian shouted and headed off to celebrate with his team, leaving Rowe with a visibly different reaction and plenty of attention on the contrast between the two interviews. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Manning Weighed In As Holly Rowe Faced A Heartbreaking Week
Holly Rowe had a painful week away from the football spotlight after announcing the death of her mother, Diane Buck Rowe-Gandre, and later sharing that the family held a private graveside service in her honor. Rowe described a tribute filled with personal touches, from released butterflies and purple colors to music and Dr. Pepper, offering a glimpse into how her family said goodbye while the college football world kept moving around her.
The timing only added to the unease around Texas after a viral AI-generated video depicted Steve Sarkisian slapping Rowe, coming on the heels of a real postgame moment when Sarkisian walked away from an interview with her. Arch Manning was asked about the controversy during a press conference and later apologized for his reaction, a reminder of how quickly an ugly online moment can spill into the wider conversation around the Longhorns. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Suddenly Has A Coaching Issue Hanging Over UTSA Week
A fresh off-field issue landed on Texas this week when co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach Johnny Nansen was arrested Wednesday evening on a misdemeanor DWI charge. Head coach Steve Sarkisian confirmed the arrest and said the program is still gathering information while monitoring the situation, an unwelcome development as the Longhorns turn their attention to UTSA.
Nansen was not at practice after the arrest, and his status for the upcoming game remains unsettled. For a defense already in game-week preparation mode, the uncertainty adds another layer to a week that was supposed to be focused on cleanup and rhythm, not staffing questions on the sideline. [Read more 🡒]