After a choppy offensive start in the prime-time matchup with Georgia, Texas inserted backup quarterback Arch Manning in place of starter Quinn Ewers while trailing 20-0 in the second quarter.

The top-ranked Longhorns came up empty on their first six drives of the game, managing just 29 total yards of offense. Ewers, playing in his second game back after missing two weeks with an oblique injury, was just 6 of 12 for 17 yards through the air with a pair of turnovers: a strip sack that capped Georgia’s first touchdown drive at the Texas 13, and an interception in his own territory that led to another Bulldogs touchdown.

Manning’s attempts to crack the Bulldogs’ defense didn’t go much better in the second quarter. The Longhorns gained one first down on Manning’s first drive via a penalty after Georgia defensive lineman Mykel Williams grabbed Manning’s facemask on a third-down tackle, but they were forced to punt three plays later. Manning moved Texas to midfield on his second drive, but then he fumbled a hit by Damon Wilson II, and the Bulldogs recovered at the Texas 30 and scored a field goal to take a 23–0 halftime lead.

Arch, the 19-year-old son of Cooper Manning, represents the next generation of football royalty from the Manning family. His grandfather, Archie, played at Ole Miss in the 1960s and played for the New Orleans Saints in the NFL. His uncles, Peyton and Eli, each won two Super Bowls in the NFL after college careers at Tennessee and Ole Miss, respectively.

Manning led Texas to easy wins over Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State in Ewers’ absence.

What’s wrong with Texas’ offense?

Ewers looked lost, and the Texas offense did absolutely nothing out of the gate, allowing 15 total yards in the first 23 plays. It’s hard to put everything on Ewers because the Longhorns couldn’t run or block the ball in the first half, but Ewers’ inability to avoid pressure or get the ball away quickly enough has hurt the offense. Ewers has not been sharp in either of his last two games since returning from the oblique injury.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has been rooting for Ewers since Manning arrived on campus, and for good reason considering how well Ewers was playing up until his injury. When asked this week what it would take to make an in-game quarterback change, Sarkisian dismissed the premise, saying, “I’m not even going to answer that. I don’t know what the question is. Next question.” — Chris Vannini

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(Photo: Tim Warner/Getty Images)