The No. 2 Texas Longhorns did what you’re supposed to do against overmatched opponents: lean on them and drag them to a victory that was never in doubt. That’s exactly what happened Saturday at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in a 56-7 win over the UTSA Roadrunners.

While we’re still waiting for a full prognosis for starting quarterback Quinn Ewers, who left the game in the first half with an abdominal injury, the offense was on fire and looked explosive in the second half. A group of playmakers and an elite defensive playmaker showed their stuff in a lopsided win over an outmatched Roadrunners team.

Arch Manning is the real deal

While fans held their breath over Ewers’ health, this was an official coming-out party on a national scale for Arch Manning. His first play in relief of Ewers was a 19-yard touchdown strike to DeAndre Moore Jr. and he followed that up with a highlight reel 67-yard touchdown run to start his day. He ultimately finished the game with an efficient 223 yards, with four of his nine completions coming for touchdowns.

The game was already within reach when he replaced Ewers, and more often than not when a backup comes in during a blowout, their day consists of handoffs and cleanup. Sarkisian and Manning worked together to run up the score and show they can keep the train rolling while Ewers regains his strength.

Colin Simmons ahead of schedule

One of the few criticisms of Texas against Michigan was a lack of sacks on the Wolverines’ quarterbacks as they picked apart the reigning national champions. The story against UTSA was much different, led by the work of edge Colin Simmons, the former consensus five-star prospect who signed with the Horns as the No. 2 edge in the 2024 recruiting class.

The freshman phenom recorded two tackles for loss, one sack and one quarterback hurry, ranking second on the team with six total tackles. He flashed his five-star talent multiple times throughout the game and was someone defenses had to watch out for on every play.

The attack has more weapons than we thought

The Longhorns didn’t need playmakers in this game, and saw plenty of them in the process of blowing out the Roadrunners. Texas had six players with three or more receptions, led by Ryan Wingo’s three receptions for 127 yards and a score, with Isaiah Bond not far behind with five catches for 103 yards and two scores. It was also the first time this year that Bond didn’t record a drop in a game.

Johntay Cook II also emerged as a red zone target for Texas, flashing his speed by converting a quick slant run past defenders for a 19-yard score and then showing his hands at the back of the end zone for a 12-yard score late in the game. After a coming-out party against Michigan, tight end Gunnar Helm had a fairly run-of-the-mill night, but his one catch was a highlight reel moment that ended with a defender stymied, while team touchdown leader Matthew Golden wasn’t needed deep in the game.

On the ground, Jerrick Gibson looks a real threat, driving past defenders while Quintrevion Wisner’s day ends prematurely.