The No. 2 Texas Longhorns did what you’re supposed to do against inferior opponents: pressure them and pull away to earn a victory that was never in doubt. That’s exactly what happened Saturday at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in a 56-7 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners.

While we still await the full prognosis for starting quarterback Quinn Ewers, who left the game in the first half with an abdominal strain, the offense ran smoothly and looked explosive in the second half. A bevy of playmakers and an elite defensive player showed off their skills in a lopsided victory over an underdog Roadrunners team.

Arch Manning is the real deal

While fans hold their breath over Ewers’ health, this was an official national coming out party for Arch Manning. His first play as Ewers’ replacement was a 19-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Moore Jr., and he followed up his day with a spectacular 67-yard touchdown run. Ultimately, he finished the game with an efficient 223 yards, with four of his nine completions resulting in touchdowns.

The game was already decided when he came in for Ewers, and when a substitute comes in during a blowout victory, his day is usually all handoffs and cleanup. Sarkisian and Manning combined to run up the score and showed they can keep the run going while Ewers gets healthy.

Colin Simmons is ahead of schedule

One of the few criticisms of Texas against Michigan was the lack of sacks by the Wolverines’ quarterbacks as they dismantled the defending national champions. The story against UTSA was much different and was defined by the work of edge Colin Simmons, the former five-star talent who signed with the Horns as the No. 2 edge in the 2024 recruiting class.

The freshman phenom recorded two tackles for loss, a sack and a quarterback hurry and finished second on the team with six total tackles. He flashed his five-star talent several times in the game and was someone the defense had to reckon with on every play.

The offensive has more weapons than we thought

The Longhorns didn’t lack for playmakers in this game, they found plenty of them in beating the Roadrunners. Texas had six players with three or more pass catches, led by Ryan Wingo’s three pass catches for 127 yards and a score, and Isaiah Bond wasn’t far behind with five catches for 103 yards and two scores. It was also the first time this year that Bond didn’t record a drop in a game.

Johntay Cook II also proved to be a red zone target for Texas, showing off his speed by turning a quick slant run past defenders into a 19-yard touchdown and then flashing his hands for a 12-yard touchdown at the end of the end zone. After his coming-out party against Michigan, tight end Gunnar Helm had a rather mediocre night, but his only catch was a spectacular moment that ended with a leapfrogged defender while the team’s touchdown leader, Matthew Golden, wasn’t needed again until well into the game.

On the ground, Jerrick Gibson looks to be a real threat as a runner who overwhelms defenders as Quintrevion Wisner’s day ended early.