Arch Manning passed for 295 yards and four touchdowns — both career highs — and ran for another score to fuel No. 7 Texas to a 38-7 victory over San Jose State on Saturday in Austin, Texas.
Texas (1-1) bounced back from a season-opening loss at now top-ranked Ohio State with a dominating performance from its ball-hawking defense, which forced three fumbles (two by preseason All-America linebacker Anthony Hill) and an interception.
Manning completed 19 of 30 passes and was intercepted once.
Parker Livingstone had 128 yards receiving and two touchdown catches and Cedric Baxter added 64 rushing yards for the Longhorns.
Texas finished with a 472-273 advantage in total offense.
Walker Eget passed for 188 yards to pace the Spartans (0-2).
The Longhorns sputtered early on until Manning hit a wide-open Livingstone for an 83-yard touchdown to go up 7-0 at the 2:52 mark of the first quarter.
After an interception on the ensuing possession by Jalen Guilbeau, Manning needed just five plays to find Livingstone for their second scoring hookup. The 3-yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds to play in the first quarter gave Texas a 14-0 lead.
Texas added to the lead on the first play after a San Jose State fumble, with Manning finding tight end Jack Endries for a 36-yard TD just 15 seconds into the second quarter.
Another Spartans fumble on their next possession set the table for a 16-yard Manning-to-Endries scoring connection that expanded the margin to 28-0 with 12:56 to play in the second quarter.
San Jose finally got on the scoreboard with Jabari Bates’ 4-yard TD run with 8:19 to play until halftime at the end of a 75-yard, eight-play march.
Texas added to its lead on Mason Shipley’s 47-yard field goal four minutes into the third quarter.
Then late in the third Manning scrambled to his left and tiptoed down the sideline and into the end zone from 20 yards out to push the Longhorns’ advantage to 38-7.
–Field Level Media
