Steve Sarkisian explains why he temporarily benched Quinn Ewers for Arch Manning

There's no question that Arch Manning is a talent, but up until Saturday night, there also hadn't been a question about his role.

Manning committed to Texas knowing he would be the backup to Quinn Ewers and the heir to his throne.

However, for the first time since the two have both worn the orange and white, Ewers took the bench for Manning, officially drumming up a quarterback controversy.

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Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers of the Texas Longhorns talk on the field before a game at Cotton Bowl Stadium on Oct. 12, 2024, in Dallas. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

Toward the end of the second half, with the Longhorns down 20-0 and Ewers already turning the ball over twice, Sarkisian pulled the wild move to bring in Manning for the final two series of the half.

Granted, Manning played very well while Ewers was injured, but Ewers is likely a first-round pick. Still, Sarkisian thought it was a good idea to sit him down.

Ewers did begin the second half and finish the game, but he couldn't avoid the questions.

But Sarkisian said it was more of a strategy to benefit Ewers, not necessarily get the better player in (it didn't help that Texas didn't score with Manning on the field)

Arch Manning of the Texas Longhorns runs the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Oct. 19, 2024, in Austin. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)

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"I was just trying to settle Quinn down a little bit, try to give us a little bit of a spark," Sarkisian said after the game. "We’ve got to get out of our own way. We’re not playing very good as a unit right now. Thank God our defense is putting out some fires for us."

Sarkisian, though, shut down any questions on whether they had a quarterback battle.

"Quinn's our starting quarterback," he said.

"I appreciate the fact that we're fortunate enough to have a backup like Arch that can come into the game and provide a spark in some sense, but at the end of the day, Quinn's our starter."

Quinn Ewers of the Texas Longhorns throws against the Georgia Bulldogs on Oct. 19, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)

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Ewers completed 25 of 43 passes for 211 yards, two touchdowns, an interception, and a fumble – Manning went 3-for-6 for 32 yards. Nothing was enough for Texas, though, as they fell to No. 5 Georgia, 30-15.

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