Arch Manning passed for 258 yards and two touchdowns in his first collegiate start, Jadon Blue scored four times, and No. 1 Texas thrashed Louisiana-Monroe, 51-3, on Saturday night in Austin, Texas. With star quarterback Quinn Ewers out with a strained oblique muscle, Manning was a workhorse through the fourth quarter, completing 15 of 29 passes with two interceptions (both on deflected balls). Blue ran 25 times for 124 yards and three scores, catching a pass and scoring for the Longhorns (4-0), who entered the game as the top-ranked team in the country for the first time since 2008. In their final tune-up for Southeastern Conference play, the Longhorns outshot the Warhawks, 497-111. General Booty threw 42 yards to put Louisiana-Monroe (2-1) ahead, but the school couldn’t get further than 23 yards. Manning had his first collegiate interception on Texas’ first drive, but he got revenge on his second possession, throwing a long 56-yard pass to Isaiah Bond to set up Blue’s 1-yard TD run with 7:11 left in the first quarter. After an interception and return by Anthony Hill Jr. put Texas at the ULM 13, Manning rolled right and found Blue in the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 14-0 with 5:28 left in the first quarter. Blue scored a 2-yard TD run with 8:15 left in the second quarter, then drove 87 yards in 12 plays to extend Texas’ lead to 28-0. Max Larson’s 34-yard field goal with 1:46 left in the half gave the Warhawks the lead. Blue carried the ball five times on the Longhorns’ first possession of the third quarter, with Jerrick Gibson capping off a 66-yard drive with a 2-yard TD run. The Longhorns defense added to the score late in the third quarter when Liona LeFau tackled ULM’s Osario Smith in the end zone for a safety. Blue then had a 1-yard scoring run on the opening play of the fourth quarter to extend Texas’ lead to 44-3. Ryan Niblett capped off the scoring with a 1-yard TD run with 8:18 left in the game. –Field Level Media
Arch Manning, in first start, leads No. 1 Texas to 51-3 win over ULM | NCAA
