STARKVILLE, Miss. — When it comes to sports clichés, it’s often said that the most popular player on a football team is the backup quarterback.
For Texas football, that may not be the case. At least not when the starter is Arch Manning, the NIL poster child from a famed football family who was once a popular backup himself.
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Texas return man Ryan Niblett catches a pass before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners on Oct. 11, 2025 at Cotton Bow in Dallas.
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Texas wide receiver Ryan Niblett (21) runs a punt back against Mississippi State during the second half in Starkville, Miss. on Oct. 25, 2025.
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Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian coaches from the sidelines against Mississippi State during the first half Oct. 25, 2025 in Starkville, Miss.
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Mississippi State safety Hunter Washington (right) makes a tackle against Texas during the second half Oct. 25, 2025 in Starkville, Miss.
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Texas defensive back Jaylon Guilbeau (3) celebrates with linebacker Ty’Anthony Smith, right, during overtime against Mississippi State on Oct. 25, 2025 in Starkville, Miss.
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Troy quarterback Matthew Caldwell lines up under center during the first half agains the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers on Nov. 2, 2024 at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Troy, Alabama.
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Troy quarterback Matthew Caldwell celebrates a first half touchdown against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers on Nov. 2, 2024 at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Troy, Alabama.
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Texas quarterback Matthew Caldwell warms up before a game against Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl on Oct. 11, 2025, in Dallas. Texas won 23-6.
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Texas returner Ryan Niblett on the field at Texas vs. UTEP on Sept. 13, 2025 in Austin.
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But for one night in Mississippi, there probably wasn’t a Longhorn more liked than Matthew Caldwell. In Saturday’s 45-38 win at Mississippi State’s Davis Wade Stadium, Caldwell relieved an injured Manning in overtime and threw the winning touchdown to Emmett Mosley V. The victory kept Texas (6-2, 3-1) in contention for a spot in the Southeastern Conference championship game and prevented a season on the brink from completely imploding.
“Coach Sark always tells us that you’re either going to get one play or 75 plays so make the most out of every play. I think (Caldwell) did just that,” receiver Ryan Wingo said.
Texas quarterback Matthew Caldwell (18) celebrates with running back Christian Clark after the game Oct. 25, 2025 at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss.
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A backup quarterback steps up for Texas. Again.
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Over the past few years, backup quarterbacks have been tied to some of UT’s biggest successes. Texas would not have reached the Big 12 championship game and Sugar Bowl during the 2018 season had Shane Buechele not closed out wins over Baylor and Iowa State after Sam Ehlinger exited with injuries.
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The Longhorns wouldn’t have qualified for the 2023 CFP had Maalik Murphy not been a capable fill-in for Quinn Ewers for two starts. Securing a playoff berth last year? That wouldn’t have happened if Texas had stumbled in the two games that Manning had to start while Ewers was again on the mend.
MORE: 3 questions facing Arch Manning, Longhorns after comeback win
On Saturday, it was Caldwell’s turn to relish in a reserve role.
After Manning pulled UT out of a 17-point hole in the fourth quarter, he was injured while scrambling for 13 yards on the first play of overtime. Texas turned to Caldwell and quickly gained 7 yards on a Quintrevion Wisner run before an illegal snap penalty moved the offense backward. Facing second down, Caldwell lofted a pass that a toe-tapping Mosley caught in the end zone. The officiating crew initially ruled Mosley was out of bounds, but a review overturned that call. Texas then made a stop on defense to secure the victory and stun thousands of cowbell-clanking fans and a Mississippi State team that was looking for its first conference win since 2023.
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After the game, Caldwell shared that he called an audible ahead of the decisive throw. A fifth-year senior who transferred to Texas from Troy this past spring, Caldwell said “we had a (run-pass option) on and I tagged Emmett on just a fade, and then threw it up to him, let him go make a play.”
Said Mosley: “I got the audible from Matt, and then gave him a little release. I just tracked the ball through the air and just came down with the catch.”
Texas quarterback Matthew Caldwell (18) warms up before a game against Florida on Oct. 4, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla. Florida defeated Texas 29-21.
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Who exactly is Matthew Caldwell?
Texas is the fourth stop in the 6-foot-4, 209-pound Caldwell’s career. Raised in Alabama, he started at Jacksonville State, spent two years with the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs and played at Troy last year. He was the No. 122-ranked quarterback in this year’s offseason transfer portal, according to 247Sports.
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Caldwell said he chose to transfer to Texas, a school with an established starter, for his final season because the Longhorns were the “best team in the nation, in my opinion. The culture is established. I felt it on the visit, (it was) different than anything I’ve ever seen.”
At Texas, Caldwell found himself competing with redshirt freshman Trey Owens and freshman KJ Lacey for the QB2 gig. None of the backups were needed in the Longhorns’ season opener at Ohio State, but UT revealed that Caldwell was Manning’s backup when he got playing time in the fourth quarter of the 38-7 win over San José State the following week.
“He definitely has a sense of maturity about him,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “I think his rapport with Arch was part of (why he won the backup job). They’ve got a great relationship. And he’s got this, you know, ‘I’ve been at Gardner-Webb. I’ve been at Troy. Now I’m at Texas, I’m going to take advantage of my opportunity that I get.'”
GOLDEN: How the Cardiac Longhorns pulled one out of the fire to win in Starkville
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After Saturday’s comeback win, Sarkisian did not issue an update on the health of Manning. Sarkisian will speak again to the media Monday, and Texas isn’t required to divulge any information about Manning’s status until Wednesday. If Manning can’t go for No. 20 Texas against No. 9 Vanderbilt (7-1, 3-1) this weekend, Caldwell would be in line to start. Last season at Troy, Caldwell started five times and was named the Sun Belt’s offensive player of the week after totaling four touchdowns against Georgia Southern.
Matthew Caldwell has remained cool under pressure for Texas in brief appearances
After Saturday’s game Caldwell insisted that he wasn’t nervous when was thrown into the action. The quarterback even had time for jokes. When asked if that was his first overtime game, Caldwell retorted that “it wasn’t overtime to me. (That was my) first play of the game.”
Caldwell had been called on in a pinch before. As Texas attempted to stage a comeback in the final seconds of a 29-21 loss at Florida earlier this month, he had to quickly enter the game as the clock was running after Manning lost his helmet while being tackled. Caldwell immediately completed a 26-yard pass to Wingo to keep the drive moving.
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How has Caldwell remained calm, cool and collected in those emergency situations? He says that preparation helps. Throughout the game, he tries to read the opposing defense from the sidelines and get as much information as he can from Manning.
“Football is football,” Caldwell said. “Like, 100-yard field, and I think 53 1/3 wide. So everywhere you go, football is going to be hard no matter what, so you can’t make it bigger than what it is.”