Texas QB Quinn Ewers leaves UTSA game with ‘tight stomach’, Arch Manning throws TD on next play

Texas QB Quinn Ewers was forced to leave the No. 2 Longhorns’ game against UTSA on Saturday with what appeared to be a non-contact injury.

Ewers gingerly walked to the sideline after appearing to hold up on a handoff in the second quarter. He was replaced by Arch Manning, who threw a touchdown pass to give Texas a 21-0 lead.

Ewers was 14 of 16 for 185 yards and two touchdowns before being taken to the medical tent on the Texas sideline. After being examined in the tent, a dejected Ewers slowly walked to the Texas locker room with a towel over his head. Not long after Ewers went to the locker room, he returned to the sideline without his uniform on.

Ewers was captured by ESPN’s cameras pointing to the left side of his midriff while talking to people on the Texas sideline late in the half. In his halftime interview with the network, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said he had a “tense abdomen.”

Manning, meanwhile, threw that TD pass on his first attempt after entering the game. It was a 19-yard strike to DeAndre Moore Jr.

Manning, the cousin of Peyton and Eli Manning, has been the No. 2 quarterback for the Longhorns since the College Football Playoff in January. After UTSA cut Texas’ lead to 21-7, Manning rushed for a 67-yard TD on his third play after replacing Ewers.

Ewers has missed time with shoulder injuries in each of his two seasons as Texas’ starter. He injured his right throwing shoulder in a game against Alabama in 2022 and injured his left shoulder against Houston in 2023. Ewers missed two games after suffering the injury against the Cougars a season ago and was replaced by Maalik Murphy. He is now the starting quarterback at Duke after transferring at the end of the regular season.