The quarterback dove forward on a 13-yard scramble play and appeared to take a shot to the back of the head.

Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian said postgame that he did not have any update on Manning’s status. 

He remained down on the field for a few moments before walking off the field and entering the injury tent. Backup Matthew Caldwell, a transfer from Troy, entered the game in Manning’s stead. Manning never returned — but Caldwell ensured there wasn’t much runway for him to come back anyway.  Caldwell tossed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Emmett Mosley V to give the Longhorns a 45-38 lead over the Bulldogs, and the Longhorn defense made it stand up. 

Manning played well before his departure, passing for a career-high 346 yards as he completed 29 of his 46 attempts. He also collected three touchdowns through the air and scored another on the ground. 

But he took plenty of hits. The Mississippi State defense sacked him five times and sent him running on countless other occasions.Â