Texas football started the 2024 season with a bang.
Despite a slow start, the Longhorns picked up the pace against Colorado State in the second quarter and defeated the Rams 52-0 — Texas’ first shutout in an opening match since 2004.
Though unranked Colorado State might not have been the toughest opponent, the dominant win taught head coach Steve Sarkisian and his team valuable lessons going into Ann Arbor to face Michigan, the reigning national champions, on Saturday.
Here are the key takeaways from the season opener at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
The future of the quarterback position is secured
After much anticipation, redshirt freshman quarterback Arch Manning took to the field to cause some damage. Manning had two appearances in the 2023 season and took the final snaps of the Big 12 Championship Game against Oklahoma State, but didn’t get to show much of his game.
The No. 1 overall recruit in 2023 recorded his first collegiate passing and rushing touchdowns against the Rams. Manning threw a five-yard pass to senior wide receiver Silas Bolden to make the score 45-0 for the Longhorns in the third quarter, returning in the fourth to score on a one-yard run and securing the 52-0 win.
A year after the start of his first season at Texas, Sarkisian thinks Manning is light-years ahead of where he was as a freshman.
“His understanding of what we’re trying to do offensively, the nuances of the scheme, the timing of certain throws, the protections,” Sarkisian said. “I just think his overall comfort level and confidence is much higher than a year ago at this time.”
The newcomers are settled and ready
Texas lost some key names to the 2024 NFL Draft, including wide receivers Adonai Mitchell, Jordan Whittington and Xavier Worthy, and defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat.
It was a hard task, but the newcomers silenced the doubters in the opening game.
The Texas wide receiver room went through the biggest change, Sarkisian landed some of the best names in the transfer portal. Texas added Isaiah Bond, Matthew Golden and Silas Bolden from the portal, and also recruited freshman Ryan Wingo. Bond, Golden and Bolden scored their first touchdowns as Longhorns against Colorado State.
With running back Jonathon Brooks leaving the team and sophomore CJ Baxter sustaining an injury in the preseason, freshman running back Jerrick Gibson was trusted to fill in the shoes of the two Texas stars. Gibson led the team in yards and yards per carry against the Rams and scored a five-yard rushing touchdown.
Michigan will pose a bigger challenge than Colorado State, but Texas seems to have found the chemistry to get the job done.
