Arch Manning scored one of the biggest touchdowns for No. 3 Texas this season.
The 19-year-old Longhorns quarterback entered for Quinn Ewers, who had been battling a sore ankle, late in the first quarter against No. 20 Texas A&M at Kyle Field on Saturday night and made an immediate impact in Texas’ 17-7 road win over their rival .
Next up for Texas (11-1, 7-1 SEC) is a rematch with No. 6 Georgia in Atlanta.
“The goal has always been let’s get to Atlanta and if we can get to Atlanta, those other goals might start to line themselves up,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said.
Quintrevion Wisner ran for a career-high 186 yards and Quinn Ewers threw a touchdown pass in the win, but it was Manning who got Texas jump-started.
With Texas facing a fourth-and-2 late in the first quarter, Manning scrambled for a 15-yard touchdown by diving to the end zone pylon to give the Longhorns a 7-0 lead.
The impressive scramble completed a 93-yard drive, which included a key 26-yard run by Ewers, who appeared to be running well despite the past ankle issues.
It was another bright moment for Manning, who has played a fair amount while being groomed as the Longhorns quarterback of the future.
He looked impressive leading Texas to wins over UL-Monroe and Mississippi State early this season, when he filled in as the starter while Ewers recovered from a strained abdomen.
Despite the touchdown, Saturday night’s appearance was a cameo for Manning. Ewers reentered the game on Texas’ next possession in the second quarter.
Manning briefly reentered the game when the Longhorns were inside the 10-yard line on Texas’ second touchdown drive, forcing Texas A&M to call a timeout.
But Manning didn’t get to run a play on the drive as Ewers reentered the game after the timeout and finished off the drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Jaydon Blue to give Texas a 14-0 lead.
Ewers said it meant a lot to get the win in a series that was paused after Texas A&M went to the SEC. The teams hadn’t played since 2011.
“It’s been a tradition for the long time and then it went away for a little bit,” he said. “Now it’s back and it’s fun to be on top for sure.”
As for Manning, he had two more non-descript carries and finished with three carries and 14 yards. He did not throw a pass in the win.
— with AP