Ewers went down on the field following a handoff and left the game with what head coach Steve Sarkisian called a strained abdomen.

AUSTIN, Texas — The No. 2 Texas Longhorns may have to finish Saturday’s game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium without star redshirt junior quarterback Quinn Ewers after Ewers went down on the artificial turf at Campbell-Williams Field in Austin following a running play and then departed.

The coaching staff took Ewers’ helmet as he received attention in the medical tent and although the nature of the injury to Ewers was not immediately clear, he did pull his jersey over his head in frustration as he walked gingerly to the tent.

Ewers eventually left the field with a towel over his head, returning to the sideline late in the half wearing street clothes and was later spotted pointing to his ribs or oblique area on his left side.

Leaving the field at halftime, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian called the injury to Ewers a “strained abdomen.”

Redshirt freshman quarterback Arch Manning wasted little time showing out as he replaced the Texas starter, throwing a 19-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. on his first snap from scrimmage as the Longhorns looked poise to run away from the Roadrunners with a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter.

UTSA responded, however, with a two-play, 75-yard drive finished by running back Robert Henry with a 53-yard touchdown run to narrow the deficit to two touchdowns.

And then Manning responded on a rare zone read call by Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, pulling the ball and racing 67 yards for a touchdown, his second score on the three plays following the departure of Ewers.