Fresh off an historic comeback, Arch Manning leads the top-ranked Longhorns against a disciplined Roadrunners squad to iron out early-game inconsistencies before their daunting SEC debut.
Texas spent three quarters last Saturday looking nothing like the No. 1 team in the country.
By the end of the night … there wasn't much left to argue.
Fresh off a historic 24-23 comeback win over Ohio State, the Texas Longhorns return to DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday night for their final nonconference game against unbeaten UTSA.
Texas trailed Ohio State 23-3 entering the fourth quarter before Arch Manning and the offense finally broke through — scoring 21 unanswered points to complete the second-largest fourth-quarter comeback in program history.
That win pushed Texas to No. 1 in both major polls.
Now the Longhorns get a completely different kind of test.
Instead of chasing a game against the nation's top-ranked team, Texas enters Saturday carrying that ranking itself — with SEC play waiting one week later at Tennessee.
Steve Sarkisian has already downplayed the significance of being No. 1, and Texas has enough to clean up from last weekend to understand why.
Two turnovers came within the Longhorns' first five offensive snaps against Ohio State, putting Texas in a hole almost immediately.
They survived it.
Against UTSA, the challenge is keeping another slow start from becoming part of the story.
The Roadrunners arrive with some momentum of their own.
UTSA is 2-0 for the first time since 2021 after opening with a 45-16 win over UTRGV and rallying past Texas State 31-26 last weekend. Quarterback Owen McCown completed 28 of 42 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown in the win, while Brandon High Jr. broke loose for a 25-yard go-ahead touchdown with 14 seconds remaining.
UTSA has also yet to turn the football over this season.
Texas still enters with the obvious talent advantage.
The Longhorns lead the all-time series 2-0, winning 41-20 in 2022 before rolling to a 56-7 win two years later. Saturday will also mark UTSA's first-ever matchup against a team ranked No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches polls.
For Texas, much of the attention again starts with Manning.
The senior has thrown for 500 yards through two games, though the offense spent most of the Ohio State matchup searching for rhythm before finally finding it in the fourth quarter.
UTSA surrendered 481 total yards against Texas State.
If Texas wants one final opportunity to get Manning and the passing game into a cleaner rhythm before the SEC schedule begins … this is it.
The Longhorns should also get some help back in the backfield.
Freshman running back Derrek Cooper is expected to return after missing the Ohio State game with an ankle injury, while tight end Nick Townsend has been ruled out after suffering a knee injury against the Buckeyes.
Texas will also be without linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen, who will serve a one-game suspension following his misdemeanor DWI arrest earlier this week.
That adds another wrinkle to a game Texas should still control — assuming it handles its business early.
Last week showed the Longhorns can recover when things start going sideways.
Saturday gives them a chance to make sure it never gets there.
