Overview
- Arch Manning will start at quarterback for No. 8 Texas when the Longhorns play at LSU in Baton Rouge on Saturday night, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
- Manning earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week and a Manning Award Star of the Week after completing 28 of 38 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns in Texas’s 34-20 win at Missouri.
- Manning has publicly downplayed any personal legacy or homecoming narrative tied to the LSU trip, saying the game “isn’t about me” and that he is focused on team preparation.
- Coach Steve Sarkisian backed Manning’s focus and said the quarterback is absorbed in the team’s work, while Texas earlier increased reps for backup K.J. Lacey when turnovers raised evaluation questions midseason.
- The matchup matters beyond the storyline because a Texas win would improve its College Football Playoff positioning, and the game highlights recruiting and regional ties with several Louisiana natives on the Longhorns’ roster.