Cooper Manning Applauds Son Arch Manning After Back-to-Back Starts

In wake of coming off a 35-13 win over Mississippi State last weekend, Cooper Manning discussed his thoughts on Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning and his performance so far this season after two starts.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) hands the ball to running back Jaydon Blue (23) during the game against Mississippi State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Second-string quarterback Arch Manning might not be seen on the field for a while following the announcement that Quinn Ewers is expected to return to the starting role for Texas in the Red River Rivalry matchup against No. 19 Oklahoma next weekend.

Manning stepped in for Ewers during the team's game against UTSA after the first-string junior quarterback left with a strained abdomen in the second quarter. Ewers was ruled out for the following two weeks when Texas faced ULM and Mississippi State, giving Manning the opportunity to make his first career start as a Longhorn.

As the father attached to the iconic name, Cooper Manning discussed his takeaways from his son's debut against ULM on the Golf Subpar podcast on Sunday.

"Texas has got a really good team. Quinn had a little setback and it was fun to have Arch get some experience, and he made the most of it," Cooper said. "I think he enjoyed playing well, kind of like any time you're a rookie, on opening night you're going to make a few hiccups, but also he made some plays."

Arch threw an interception in the first and second quarters of the game and had a 51.7 percent pass completion rate, but was able to find some offensive momentum to lead the Longhorns to a 51-3 blowout victory over the Warhawks.

He made his second start vs. Mississippi State on Saturday in the program's first SEC matchup, passing for 325 yards and two touchdowns as well as one rushing touchdown. He secured a 35-13 win for Texas to assist in a 5-0 start to the season ahead of the bye week.

Arch's extended time on the field was long awaited by Longhorn nation, ever since it was confirmed that he would be committing to Texas. Despite rumors of him entering the transfer portal after seeing action in only two games in 2023, Arch stuck with the program, and now reaps the benefits of that decision.

Cooper highlighted the fact that Arch was given the opportunity to develop his skills without the pressure of being a starter during his freshman campaign, which has allowed him to compete at a higher level in crucial moments.

"When Arch committed to Texas, they were coming off a 5-7 season, so I think a big part of why he liked Texas is because they had a great history, had a new coach coming, kind of a new program feel, and knew they had the potential to be great," Cooper said. "Not having to come in there and be the guy, and go and learn and get better so when your number is called, you're ready to play and you perform well."

Going from two game appearances to two starts this year, Cooper said that Arch now has the necessary experience of being a starting quarterback ahead of next season, especially with the challenge that awaits right out of the gate.

"Selfishly, I kind of look ahead to next year," Cooper said. "Texas, they go to Ohio State in the opening game, so selfishly I think I'm glad he had a few snaps, know what it's like to start and play a little bit."

It's uncertain when Arch will be seen again now with Ewers expected to be back on the starting lineup, but Texas can rest assured knowing that it has that depth in the quarterback room.