The Longhorns defends their place as the top team in the country before opening SEC play.

With starting quarterback Quinn Ewers banged up, the No. 1 Texas Longhorns get to see what the backup is made of for the third year in a row. Last year it was Maalik Murphy stepping in for Ewers against BYU when he was sidelined in the Houston game. In 2022, Hudson Card took over against the Alabama Crimson Tide when Ewers got hurt and held the spot down for the next three games as QB1 got healthy.

While he comes with recruiting accolades and the most famous last name in football, Arch Manning is still a redshirt freshman making his first start. His time in relief against the UTSA Roadrunners was nothing short of spectacular as he diced up the defense, but things are different when you’re the starter. So as Texas looks to continue toward its goals while Ewers rests his strained abdominal, what can they do to find success against the Warhawks on Saturday?

Find success through the air on first downs

One of the best ways to get a quarterback to settle into the rhythm of the game is completing easy passes early — something that is also not out of character for Steve Sarkisian’s play calling this year. Through three games, Texas has passed the ball on 42 of their 91 first-down attempts, a number that includes two games with significant garbage time totals.

Texas is averaging more than 10 yards per attempt on first downs, compared to 4.15 yards per attempt on the ground. While both numbers are definitely a positive for the Texas offense regardless, Sarkisian will rely on Manning to be his own best friend on early downs and keep himself from facing third and longs, on which Texas is just 2-of-14 through its first three games.

Lean on the run

While it may seem counter to the previous point, both can be true. Due to the injuries, this may be the first time in his career as a head coach that Sarkisian has been without a true “featured back” as they try to avoid more long-term injuries.

Texas has been without a 100-yard rusher through the first three games of the season, which isn’t that uncommon in recent memory, but you’d have to go all the way back to 2018 to find the last time Texas has gotten four games into the season without someone eclipsing 100 yards on the ground.

With ULM coming to down, that may just mean that Texas is due.

The Warhawks’ ground defense leaves a lot to be desired from a consistency standpoint and with the offensive line as Texas’ biggest strength this week, it would be smart to literally lean on ULM. Through their first two games, against Jackson State and UAB, the Warhawks have allowed 3.8 yards per rush to opposing offensive lines and have stopped opposing rushers for three or fewer yards just seven percent of the time. It’s a winning proposition for Texas all-around on the ground, with ULM’s opponents averaging .27 expected points added per rush.

Limit turnovers

While Texas hasn’t been giving the ball away left and right this year, the Warhawks have been good at turning opponents over and controlling the game. ULM is plus-four in turnover margin this year without giving the ball away a single time, forcing two fumbles and hauling in an interception in their game against UAB prior to the bye. Combine that with their three-headed monster in the backfield, the Warhawks have made it a habit of squeezing opponents to death.

Currently, ULM sits No. 20 in the country in time of possession and No. 9 in time per play so far in 2024, putting in intentional effort to slow the game down and keep opponents off the field. Giving them extra possessions in a game where they may already be a premium is a recipe for disaster.