A long September opener in Austin turned into a showcase for Texas’ new faces, and the result was as lopsided as it looked early. No. 5 Texas rolled past Texas State 59-7 on Saturday at Royal-Memorial Stadium, getting big plays from transfers Hollywood Smothers and Cam Coleman, plus a heavy dose of production from Raleek Brown, Ryan Wingo and Arch Manning.
The Longhorns wasted no time setting the tone. Smothers broke loose for a 45-yard gain on Texas’ first snap, then added two more runs before Coleman finished the four-play drive with a 6-yard touchdown catch - his first score in burnt orange. That opening punch set the pace for a game Texas controlled from start to finish.
Wingo helped extend the lead with an 8-yard touchdown grab, and Texas closed the first quarter up 14-0. The second quarter brought more of the same.
Brown powered in from 13 yards out, Graceson Littleton turned a fumble into a 59-yard touchdown return, and the Longhorns kept stacking points. Manning threw an end-zone interception late in the half, which kept Texas from scoring on all four first-half possessions, but the defense matched Texas State’s offense on the scoreboard.
By halftime, Texas was ahead 28-7. From there, the game never came close to tightening. The Longhorns outscored the Bobcats 21-0 in the third quarter, and Texas State never got within 42 points after that.
Smothers made his first game in Austin count, finishing with 70 rushing yards on 10 carries and 28 receiving yards on three catches, along with a 13-yard touchdown run. Coleman delivered two touchdowns on three receptions, and Brown added a 21-yard scoring run after Manning exited midway through the third quarter. Manning’s final line was strong: 305 passing yards, four touchdowns and 20 completions on 27 attempts.
The debut impact went beyond the skill players. Linebacker Rasheem Biles picked off a pass and forced the fumble that Littleton returned for a score.
The Longhorns also got contributions from several other transfers across the roster, including Sterling Berkhalter, Justin Cryer, Ian Geffrard and kicker Gianni Spetic, who went 1-for-1 on field goals and 7-for-7 on extra points. Texas started transfers Melvin Siani and Dylan Sikorski on the offensive line, while Laurence Seymore III also saw meaningful snaps up front in the first half.
For Steve Sarkisian, the win marked the fifth season-opening victory in his six years at Texas and the third-biggest blowout of his tenure. It also keeps the spotlight exactly where it was headed all along: next week’s home meeting with No. 1 Ohio State.
Before the game, Sarkisian tried to keep the focus on Texas State. On the SEC’s Wednesday conference call, he said, "I know everyone is wanting to talk about next week, (but) this team we're playing this week, don't be surprised at the end of November if they're not in the talk of making the college football playoff.
I think Texas State's a real good team. They've got our attention."
Now the attention shifts. Ohio State opened its season with a 56-3 win over Ball State, and if both teams stay put in the AP poll, next week will be just the third top-five matchup at DKR in the last 25 years.
One of the others came in 2006, when then-No. 1 Ohio State beat then-No.
2 Texas 24-7 in the second week of that season.
In Other News...
College GameDay Sees Texas As A Contender But Not A Sure Thing
ESPNs College GameDay spent part of the weekend sorting through the SECs top tier, and Texas came out of it with something close to a respectability stamp. Several of the panels analysts, including Nick Saban and Desmond Howard, weighed in on the SEC Championship and the College Football Playoff National Championship, and the consensus leaned toward Georgia as the favorite to come out of the conference. Even so, the Longhorns were firmly in the conversation, which is where they wanted to be entering another season with bigger expectations attached to the program.
Desmond Howard went a step farther and picked Texas to win both the SEC and the national title, a reminder that the Longhorns are being viewed as more than just a team with upside. At the same time, the broader skepticism around the league suggests they still have to prove they belong in that same elite bucket as Georgia. Texas will get its first chance to start making that case when it opens the season against Texas State, with the early weeks likely to shape how much of that playoff buzz is real. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Returns To Knoxville For A UT Showdown Fans Will Feel
Texas is headed back to a familiar old SEC-era stage next fall, with the Longhorns set to meet Tennessee on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. The noon ET kickoff gives the game a marquee spot on the schedule, and the setting alone should give it a different feel from a typical nonconference road trip, especially for fans who still remember how rarely these two programs have crossed paths in East Tennessee.
What makes the trip even more notable is the return to a venue where Texas has not played this matchup in generations, which only adds to the anticipation around a game that already carries plenty of name recognition. Tickets are already on the market too, with prices stretching from $350 to $1,650, a reminder that this one is expected to draw plenty of attention well before the teams actually get to Knoxville. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Depth Chart Already Reveals A Few Surprising Early Battles
Texas released its first official depth chart of the season ahead of the Texas State game, and it already offered a few hints about where the early competition is fiercest. The Longhorns listed starters and backups across offense, defense and special teams, giving the first real look at how the staff is sorting out roles after camp.
Among the more notable choices, sophomore Dylan Sikorski is penciled in ahead of sixth-year Laurence Seymore at left guard, a sign that the interior line picture is still taking shape. The rest of the chart also suggests Texas is not afraid to make some early calls and keep a few jobs open to challenge, which is exactly the kind of pressure a team wants before the schedule starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]