AUSTIN, Texas — Arch Manning threw four touchdown passes, the defense took the ball away three times, and No. 5 Texas opened the season with a 59-7 win over Texas State on Saturday in front of 102,738 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Manning completed 20 of 27 passes for 305 yards with 4 touchdowns and 1 interception. The four touchdown passes matched his career high, and he completed passes to eight different receivers. He left in the third quarter with Texas ahead 42-7.
Texas scored on eight of its nine possessions, and Manning’s six possessions produced five touchdowns and the interception. Texas was 6 of 7 in the red zone and scored 14 points off turnovers. The win was the Longhorns’ ninth straight in a home opener and their 39th straight in a non-conference game against a team from Texas, a run that dates to 1968. It was the first meeting between the programs in nearly 100 years, per Texas.
Ryan Wingo caught 7 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown. Cam Coleman, in his first game since transferring from Auburn, caught 3 passes for 70 yards and 2 touchdowns. Raleek Brown ran for 2 touchdowns, and Hollywood Smothers carried 10 times for 70 yards and caught a 13-yard touchdown pass.
Texas outgained Texas State 516-349 and converted 11 of 15 third downs and both of its fourth-down tries. Texas State finished 8 of 14 on third down, lost 2 fumbles, and threw 1 interception.
“I liked how we got a lot of guys involved,” Manning said. “Seems like we got a lot of playmakers. We kind of do everything. There was a rough drive before half. That was on me. Other than that, I thought it was a good first outing. Obviously, there’s a lot of room to improve, but was pleased with the guys.”
Texas Scored On Its First Three Possessions
On the first play from scrimmage, Smothers ran 45 yards up the middle from the Texas 44 to the Texas State 11. Three plays later, Manning found Coleman for a 6-yard touchdown with 10:31 left in the first quarter. The four-play, 56-yard drive took 108 seconds, Texas’ quickest scoring drive to open a season since 2022.
Texas State drove to the Texas 42 on its next possession and turned the ball over on downs when a fourth-down pass to Chris Dawn Jr. was broken up. Manning converted a fourth down of his own on the ensuing drive with a 21-yard completion to Wingo down the left sideline to the Texas State 19, and Wingo caught an 8-yard touchdown with 4:14 left in the quarter to make it 14-0.
Texas State reached the Texas 4 as the first quarter ended. Two plays into the second quarter, Dylan Cunanan missed a 24-yard field goal.
Brown scored from 13 yards out with 7:53 left in the first half to cap an 80-yard drive.
Two minutes later, Rasheem Biles punched the ball loose from Taji Atkins at the Texas 41 and Graceson Littleton returned the fumble 59 yards for a touchdown and a 28-0 lead with 5:56 left in the half. It was Texas’ longest fumble return for a touchdown since Rodrique Wright went 67 yards against Oklahoma on Oct. 8, 2005.
Texas State answered with a five-play, 75-yard drive. Brad Jackson hit Tucker Cusano for 41 yards, then ran 32 yards to the Texas 4. Davian Jackson scored from there with 3:59 left in the half.
Arch Manning Threw An Interception At The Goal Line
Texas took over at its own 10 with 3:52 left in the half. Wingo caught passes of 9, 19, and 45 yards on the drive, the last one to the Texas State 22 with 38 seconds left. Tymere Jackson sacked Manning for a 10-yard loss earlier in the possession.
From the Texas State 11 on third-and-goal with 6 seconds left, Manning threw into the end zone and Ryan Nolan intercepted it. Texas led 28-7 at halftime.
“It was tough,” Manning said. “It was a nod concept to Emmett, and he was open at first, and I kind of double clutched, and the guy came in the picture. And you just can’t do that before half. But glad I got it out of the way. Hopefully we can eliminate those going forward.”
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said the play was a double move for Emmett Mosley V that Texas State did not guard on the first move.
“It was almost like just turn around, let me throw it to you,” Sarkisian said. “By the time Emmett double moves, Arch has been staring at him, the backside safety gets the pick. So something to learn from on the play.”
Three Touchdowns In The Third Quarter
Texas opened the second half with a 75-yard drive. Manning hit Coleman for 44 yards on third down, and after a Texas State offside penalty moved the ball to the 20, Coleman caught a 20-yard touchdown down the middle with 12:46 left in the third quarter. Texas State was flagged for roughing the passer on the play.
“That was his best throw of the day, in my opinion,” Sarkisian said. “To make that throw on a skinny post with a guy getting a roughing the passer in your face. It was a heck of a catch, too, for a receiver knowing I’m probably going to get hit here.”
Maraad Watson sacked Brad Jackson and forced a fumble on the next Texas State possession, and Colin Simmons recovered at the Texas State 42. Manning converted a fourth down with a 7-yard pass to Mosley and threw a 13-yard touchdown to Smothers with 7:55 left in the quarter.
Biles intercepted Brad Jackson on the following possession. Karle “KJ” Lacey Jr. took over at quarterback, and Brown ran 21 yards for a touchdown with 5:00 left in the third for a 49-7 lead.
Lacey finished 6 of 7 for 55 yards. He drove Texas to a 48-yard field goal by Gianni Spetic with 6:00 left in the game, and James Simon scored from 7 yards out with 2:08 remaining after a Texas State turnover on downs at its own 16.
Cunanan missed a 35-yard field goal with 11:48 left in the fourth quarter to end a 16-play, 58-yard drive that took 8:12. Texas State did not punt after its first possession, when Tom Flintoff kicked 17 yards to the Texas 44.
Biles Had A Forced Fumble And An Interception In His Texas Debut
Biles, who transferred from Pittsburgh in January, finished with 5 tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception, the fourth of his career. Texas has forced a turnover in 24 straight home games, the longest active streak in the FBS, and has turned those 44 takeaways into 193 points. Jelani McDonald led Texas with 8 tackles. Littleton and Jonah Williams had 6 tackles apiece, and Texas finished with 8 tackles for loss.
“What a punch out by Rasheem Biles to cause a turnover,” Sarkisian said. “Obviously, Cam’s impact on the game, Hollywood’s impact on the game. Raleek Brown scores two touchdowns. And so that’s just to name a few.”
Brad Jackson completed 15 of 23 passes for 150 yards with an interception and ran 3 times for 27 yards. Last season he ran for 744 yards and 17 touchdowns, and Texas State closed the year with four straight wins, including a 41-10 win over Rice in the Armed Forces Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth on Jan. 2.
Texas State coach G.J. Kinne called the performance pretty terrible, per The Associated Press. The Bobcats are in their first season in the Pac-12 after 13 years in the Sun Belt.
The official box listed the weather as sunny and 96 degrees at the 2:35 p.m. CT kickoff. Sarkisian said the heat index was around 105 and the field temperature was over 150 degrees. Texas State held the ball for 30:26.
“I knew we’d have some growing pains today, which we did,” Sarkisian said. “That’s understandable. Now we’ve got to fix some of those growing pains going into next week.”
Texas hosts No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC. Ohio State beat Texas 14-7 in Columbus on Aug. 30, 2025, in the season opener, and beat the Longhorns in the College Football Playoff semifinals the season before. Texas State hosts UTSA on Sept. 12.
