Steve Sarkisian benched Quinn Ewers in the middle of the game. Why hasn’t he done the same with Arch Manning?

Last year, Sarkisian withdrew Ewers, who had gone 6-for-12 with 17 passing yards and an interception. Manning spelt him until halftime, and Ewers rebounded in the second half, going 25-for-43 for 211 yards and two touchdowns.

The Longhorns currently lack a backup with Manning’s name recognition and reputation. Matthew Caldwell came to Texas after bouncing around three FCS and Group of Five sites, never having established himself as a starter.

Texas Longhorns wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. (0) celebrates Texas’ Red River Rivalry win with the Golden Hat after the Longhorns beat the Oklahoma Sooners 23-6 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Oct. 11, 2025. Show More Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman

However, Sarkisian stated that his choice to keep Manning in the game Saturday — as well as on September 13, when he battled tremendously against UTEP — was based on Manning’s thoughts on the game.

“When I was talking to him, he was seeing things well,” Sarkisian said. “His communication was good with (QBs coach AJ Milwee), what we were trying to do.”

Manning, for his part, said he isn’t concerned about losing his job.

“I control what I can control,” he stated Monday. “I work hard during the week, prepare my best, and give my all on game day. “That is all I can do.”

Sarkisian cited Manning’s 19-yard toss to DeAndre Moore Jr. on third-and-long and his 31-yard pass to Emmett Mosley V as plays that inspired him to keep Manning in the game. Sarkisian noted that several of Manning’s 15 incompletes were due to physical errors.

“He was throwing the ball to the right people that were open,” Sarkisian told me. “We only missed a few. So sometimes that’s just human nature. Hey, we’re humans; we’re going to make physical mistakes. And he made a few physical faults the other night.”