Arch Manning threw for 305 yards and four touchdowns as No. 5 Texas crushed Texas State 59-7 and turned its attention to No. 1 Ohio State.
Arch Manning didn’t need four quarters to make his first statement of the 2026 season.
The Texas quarterback threw for 305 yards and four touchdowns as the No. 5 Longhorns overwhelmed Texas State 59-7 on Saturday in Austin, giving Steve Sarkisian exactly the kind of opener he wanted before next week’s showdown with No. 1 Ohio State.
Manning was efficient from the start and quickly found chemistry with one of Texas’ biggest offseason additions.
Cam Coleman, the former Auburn receiver, caught three passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns in his Longhorns debut. Manning hit Coleman for Texas’ first score, then connected with Ryan Wingo for another touchdown on the next possession.
By the second quarter, Texas had already broken the game open.
Freshman defensive back Graceson Littleton returned a fumble 59 yards for a touchdown, helping the Longhorns build a 28-0 lead before halftime.
Texas ultimately forced three turnovers in Will Muschamp’s first game back as the program’s defensive coordinator.
Manning was done by the third quarter with Texas comfortably ahead 42-7. That was more than enough work.
The Longhorns also got two touchdowns from transfer running back Raleek Brown, giving Texas production from several of the new faces expected to help replace offseason losses.
Texas State quarterback Brad Jackson was held largely in check.
He finished with 150 passing yards and 27 rushing yards as the Bobcats struggled to generate sustained offense against a Texas defense that held them to 321 total yards.
For Muschamp, who previously served as Texas’ defensive coordinator from 2008 through 2010, the opener offered a strong first look at his second stint in Austin.
The bigger story, though, remains Manning.
He entered the season under enormous expectations and immediately delivered four touchdown passes while completing 74 percent of his throws.
The performance wasn’t perfect, but Texas didn’t need perfection.
Now the difficulty level changes dramatically.
Texas hosts No. 1 Ohio State on Sept. 12, renewing a matchup that has quickly become one of college football’s most compelling nonconference rivalries. The Buckeyes beat Texas in the 2024 College Football Playoff semifinals and again in last year’s season opener.
Saturday was the warmup. Next week is the test.
