The Good, Bad and Ugly of Texas' Win Over Texas State

No. 5 Texas opened the 2026 season exactly how a College Football Playoff contender should: with a blowout.

The Longhorns overwhelmed Texas State 59-7 on Saturday at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, racing to a 28-0 halftime lead before turning the game over to their depth in the second half. It was a dominant performance, but not a perfect one.

With No. 1 Ohio State, who defeated their week one opponent, Ball State 56-3 coming to Austin next week, here is the good, bad and ugly from Texas' season-opening victory.

The Good

Sep 5, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns running back Raleek Brown (0) reacts after running for a touchdown during the second quarter against the Texas State Bobcats at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The most encouraging development was how quickly Texas' offense found its rhythm.

Arch Manning looked comfortable in his second season as the starter, completing 20 of 27 passes for 305 yards and four touchdowns before leaving midway through the third quarter. Two of those scores went to transfer receiver Cam Coleman, while Ryan Wingo continued to look like one of the nation's most dangerous big-play threats.

Wingo finished with seven catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. Coleman added three catches for 70 yards and two scores.

Texas also showed more juice in the running game. Hollywood Smothers immediately made an impact, including a 45-yard run on Texas' opening snap, while Raleek Brown scored twice.

Defensively, the Longhorns were even more impressive. Will Muschamp's unit forced three turnovers, including a 59-yard fumble-return touchdown by Graceson Littleton, and held Texas State to one touchdown.

The Bad

Sep 5, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns wide receiver Ryan Wingo (1) reaches for a pass while defended by Texas State Bobcats linebacker Treylin Payne (29) during the second quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

For all the production, there were moments when Texas made life harder on itself.

Manning's interception before halftime was the clearest example. With the Longhorns threatening to extend their lead, Manning threw late over the middle into coverage, ending what could have been another scoring opportunity.

Texas also left some explosive plays on the field. A potential touchdown opportunity to Coleman went unnoticed, while penalties and a few missed connections kept the offense from being as clean as the final score suggests.

While they were able to clean it up in the second half, Texas started off with a common problem from last season: penalties. The Longhorns ranked 3rd in penalties per game last year and on Texas State's second drive of the game, there was a costly pass interference that threatened a score. It may have just been some first-game jitters that are now out of their system.

Those mistakes did not matter against Texas State. They will matter against Ohio State.

The Ugly

Sep 5, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) runs for yardage while defended by Texas State Bobcats defensive lineman Chancellor Owens (90) and linebacker Treylin Payne (29) during the third quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The ugliest part of Saturday belonged to Texas State, but Texas was not entirely immune.

The Longhorns allowed the Bobcats to move the ball at times, particularly before halftime, despite eventually holding them to just one touchdown. Texas State also managed several explosive plays, suggesting there are still some issues to clean up on the back end of the defense.

For Texas State, the kicking game was particularly rough. Dylan Cunanan missed field goals from 24 and 35 yards, while the Bobcats also lost multiple turnovers.

None of it changed the outcome. Texas was simply too talented and too deep.

Saturday proved Texas is ready for the season.

But next week, there will be nowhere to hide.

Next Saturday will show how ready it is for the biggest stage.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google