Will Mississippi State Face Arch Manning? QB Question Looms Ahead of SEC Matchup

Both the Bulldogs and Longhorns are dealing with injuries to starting quarterbacks ahead of Texas's first SEC game

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) gets ready to take a snap in the first half against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Is Mississippi State ready to face a quarterback with Manning on his jersey again?

It might be happening sooner than many had expected.

The Bulldogs will head to Austin, Texas this week to officially welcome the Longhorns into the SEC with their first conference game. (Definitely a more favorable opponent to start SEC play than what No. 21 Oklahoma got.)

The big questions this week won’t be about who is predicted to win, but about who will start at quarterback for both schools. By virtue of being the top-ranked team in FBS and a quarterback named Manning playing well, the Longhorns will get more of the spotlight.

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers missed last Saturday’s 51-3 win against Louisiana-Monroe, which allowed Arch Manning to get his first collegiate start. He played well enough to lead the Longhorns to a win over ULM, throwing for 258 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.  

The Longhorns have made it clear to everyone that once Ewers is healthy, he’ll be back as the starting quarterback. The question is when will that be?

Various reports stated Ewers had made significant progress in recovering from an oblique injury and it’s still early in the week to know for sure.

But should the Longhorns sit Ewers against Mississippi State, a team the Longhorns are currently favored to beat by nearly 40 points? Ewers could sit this week and get an extra of recovery during the following bye week before facing No. 21 Oklahoma.

It’s difficult to say when we’ll know what both Texas and Mississippi State have planned for their upcoming game. The Student-Athlete Availability Report released later this week will be a big clue, but there’s a chance we don’t know for sure until 90 minutes prior to kickoff of Saturday’s 3:25 p.m. game.

Until then, Bulldog fans should prepare to see a Manning again.

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