There’s no doubt that Arch Manning is a talent, but until Saturday night there was no doubt about his role either.

Manning committed to Texas, knowing he would be Quinn Ewers’ backup and heir to his throne.

However, for the first time since the two both wore the orange and white, Ewers took over the bench for Manning, officially sparking a quarterback controversy.

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Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers of the Texas Longhorns talk on the field before a game at Cotton Bowl Stadium on Oct. 12, 2024, in Dallas. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

Near the end of the second half, with the Longhorns down 20-0 and Ewers already turning the ball over twice, Sarkisian pulled the wild move to bring Manning in for the final two series of the half.

Granted, Manning played very well while Ewers was injured, but Ewers is likely a first-round pick. Still, Sarkisian thought it was a good idea to let him sit.

Ewers did start the second half and finished the match, but he could not avoid the questions.

But Sarkisian said it was more of a strategy to benefit Ewers, and not necessarily bring in the better player (it didn’t help that Texas didn’t score with Manning on the field)

Arch Manning of the Texas Longhorns runs the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Oct. 19, 2024 in Austin. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)

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“I tried to calm Quinn down a little bit, to give us a little bit of a spark,” Sarkisian said after the game. “We have to go our own way. We’re not playing very well as a unit right now. Thank God our defense is putting out some fires for us.”

However, Sarkisian shut down any questions about whether they had a quarterback battle.

“Quinn is our starting quarterback,” he said.

“I appreciate the fact that we’re fortunate to have a backup like Arch who can come into the game and provide a spark in a way, but at the end of the day, Quinn is our starter.”

Quinn Ewers of the Texas Longhorns pitches against the Georgia Bulldogs on October 19, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)

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Ewers completed 25 of 43 passes for 211 yards, two touchdowns, an interception and a fumble — Manning went 3-for-6 for 32 yards. However, nothing was enough for Texas as they fell to No. 5 Georgia, 30-15.

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