The Texas Longhorns pulled out an unlikely win on Saturday evening, overcoming a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit and ultimately defeating the Mississippi State Bulldogs in overtime.
Though the Longhorns got the win in the game, they also lost their quarterback to injury, and head coach Steve Sarkisian confirmed the nature of that injury during his press conference this week and provided a bit of an update about when Manning could be back on the field.
Manning Left the Game in Overtime
The Longhorns lost Manning at a particularly unfortunate time, as the young star quarterback left the game with an injury on the first play of the overtime period when he scrambled for a first down and was hit by two Mississippi State defenders.
With Manning sidelined, Texas turned to backup quarterback Matthew Caldwell, who entered the game and threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Emmett Mosley V for what proved to be the go-ahead touchdown.
Manning in Concussion Protocol
While Texas did not know or disclose the extent or nature of Manning’s injury during or immediately after the game on Saturday, Sarkisian did confirm during his Monday press conference that Manning suffered a concussion and was in concussion protocol.
Given that there is no clear timetable for a return from a concussion, Sarkisian said that Manning’s status for Saturday’s game against Vanderbilt is up in the air.
“We’ll have more information as the week goes on,” Sarkisian said via KXAN.
Sarkisian Has Confidence in Caldwell
If Manning is unable to play, the Longhorns would turn to Caldwell against Vanderbilt, and Sarkisian made it clear that he has a lot of confidence in the veteran backup.
“He’s probably the most engaged player on the sideline,” Sarkisian said.“He’s got a really good relationship with the guys, throws a really good ball, and he’s a guy who has been in a variety of systems. His demeanor and approach during his visit didn’t seem like this was too big for him.”
Caldwell has a lot of experience at the college level, playing at both the FBS and FCS levels. Before transferring to Texas, Caldwell played for Jacksonville State, Gardner-Webb, and Troy.
