The Longhorns blew out Texas State in their Week 1 showdown, and a huge matchup against No. 1 Ohio State is on deck.
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Longhorns are off and running in the 2026 season following a dominant win over Texas State.
The Longhorns blew out the Bobcats 59-7 at DKR Stadium in Austin on Saturday afternoon, with the offense racking up over 500 yards and the defense keeping the Bobcat offense from gaining any momentum all game.
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Longhorn quarterback Arch Manning started his 2026 campaign off strong, completing 20-of-27 pass attempts for 305 yards and four touchdowns, albeit with one interception. He also tallied six yards on the ground.
The Longhorns rushing attack, spearheaded by transfers Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown, was potent. The North Carolina State transfer Smothers paced the backfield in yardage, finishing with 70 yards on 10 carries. However, it was Brown who made the most of his carries, as the Arizona State transfer finished with two rushing touchdowns to go with 34 yards on 11 carries. Freshman James Simon also tallied a score late in the fourth quarter.
While Cam Coleman drew many of the headlines during the offseason, it was returning Longhorn Ryan Wingo who paced the receivers on Saturday. The junior wide receiver racked up 121 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions to lead the Longhorns in most receiving categories. For his part, Coleman did make the most of his catches, as the Auburn transfer scored two touchdowns on only three receptions, including a 20-yard score on a pass from Manning on the opening drive of the second half.
The Longhorn offense was also incredibly effective on third down, converting 11-of-15 third down attempts.
Defensively, the Longhorns vaunted unit was stout. Despite the Bobcats accumulating over 300 yards, the Longhorn defense allowed just one score all game while also forcing three turnovers, including a fumble recovery from Graceson Littleton in the second quarter that was returned 59 yards for a touchdown.
The win puts the Longhorns at 1-0 on the season, with an enormous matchup against No. 1 Ohio State at DKR on Sept. 12 on deck. The Buckeyes blew out Ball State 56-3 in their season opener on Saturday.
The Bobcats, meanwhile, drop to 0-1, with their next matchup coming against UTSA in San Marcos on Sept. 12. The Roadrunners beat FCS UT Rio Grande Valley 45-16 in their season opener on Saturday.