Manning, Owens each throw 3 TDs in Orange-White spring game

Fans will get an early look at what the Longhorns will run out on the field as they join the Southeastern Conference with third-year starting quarterback Quinn Ewers leading what's expected to be an explosive offense. The spring game should offer a glimpse at the progress made by both Ewers and backup Arch Manning, along with others on both sides of the ball.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Sophomore quarterback Arch Manning threw three touchdowns, but it was freshman Trey Owens who engineered a game-winning drive to lift the Orange team to a 35-34 win over the White squad Saturday at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium.

Owens hit freshman Ryan Wingo for a 3-yard touchdown with 0:31 left in the game, and then Will Stone gave the Orange team the lead with the extra point. Owens threw three touchdowns himself, two to Wingo and another to Thatcher Milton.

Quinn Ewers played sparingly, throwing an interception on his first pass of the game after Ethan Burke deflected it. Alfred Collins found himself in the right spot and gobbled up the batted ball for a pick-six as the game's first score.

Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian said he was pleased with how the day went overall. It was always the plan to play Ewers a couple of series and let Manning take the reins.

"That's why Quinn and Arch were on the same team. I wanted Arch to be able to go play football. He hasn't really played in over a year," Sarkisian said. "The biggest thing I saw from Arch was something we've harped on about a week and-a-half ago about dialing into playing the play and keeping his eyes up."

Manning tossed two touchdown passes 75 yards, the first one to a wide-open DeAndre Moore Jr. with 1:25 left in the first quarter and the other in the fourth quarter to Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond. Manning's other passing score was to Jaydon Blue for 30 yards in the second quarter. Unofficially, Manning finished the game 19 of 26 for more than 350 yards with his final hail mary pass getting intercepted.

"When he keeps his eyes up and steps up in the pocket, he can deliver those balls down the field the way we like to play," Sarkisian said. "It was good to see some of the guys around him play the way they did."

Cole Lourd threw a touchdown to Reece Beauchamp with 3:50 left in the game to give the Orange team a 28-27 lead, then Manning chucked his second 75-yard bomb on the next play to put the White team back on top. Owens, a Houston native and Cy-Fair grad, drove the Orange squad back down the field in the final 3:16 to secure the victory with his second scoring pass to Wingo. Owens hit Wingo with a 55-yard touchdown in the second quarter, giving people a glimpse at what the future may hold for the Longhorns.

Sarkisian said depth on the defensive line "is a bit concerning," so that's something he wants to address by the time fall camp rolls around, but he also said the team's passing rushing off the edge "is real."

"We've tried to address that position, and it's really been paying off for us," Sarkisian said.

Texas Athletics announced earlier Saturday that the Longhorns will take on defending national champions Michigan at 11 a.m. CT in the second game of the season Sept. 7 in Ann Arbor. The game is part of the Big Noon Kickoff broadcast for FOX Sports.

Game log

Final: Orange 35, White 34. The hail mary pass gets intercepted and we're all done until fall camp in mid-August.

0:31 4Q; Owens finds Wingo on a backside fade route for a 3-yard TD. Will Stone hits the PAT and gives the Orange team a 35-34 lead

3:16 4Q: Manning with ANOTHER 75-yard touchdown pass, this one to Isaiah Bond. It's his third touchdown pass of the game. Sheesh. PAT good, White 34, Orange 28

3:50 4Q: Reece Beauchamp hauls in a Lourd pass in the back of the end zone for a touchdown. PAT good. Orange 28, White 27

7:55 4Q: Cole Lourd hits tight end Jordan Washington for a 15-yard gain on fourth-and-12. Washington held on to the ball after getting flipped over with a hit. Nice grab.

End 3Q: White 27, Orange 21. The White team has the ball on the Orange 22-yard line with a first-and-15 following an illegal snap penalty.

2:36 3Q: Kobe Black picks off Cole Lourd to give the ball back to the White team at the Orange 29-yard line

2:46 3Q: Ky Woods getting the bulk of the carries (and targets) on the drive that ends in another Auburn field goal for the White team. White 27, Orange 21

10:27 3Q: CJ Baxter plunges into the end zone from a yard out for the White team. Manning completed two passes to get the team down close to the goal line. PAT good. White 24, Orange 21

12:33 3Q: Manning back out to lead the White team's offense to start the second half.

Halftime: Orange 21, White 17. Auburn nails a 32-yard kick from the left hash as time expires in the first half. Manning led the White team for most of the first half after Ewers threw an interception during the first drive of the game.

1:47 2Q: Owens throws a perfect ball to Wingo who gets behind a defender for a 55-yard score. Owens has put together a couple of nice drives for the Orange squad and Wingo has been his favorite target. PAT good. Orange 21, White 14

7:35 2Q: Manning finds Jaydon Blue out of the backfield over the middle for a 30-yard TD. PAT good by Bert Auburn. Orange 14, White 14

10:05 2Q: CJ Baxter takes a swing pass and puts on a show of strength, running through tacklers for about a 10-yard gain. Good grief, what a tough run after the catch.

End 1Q: Orange 14, White 7

1:45 1Q: Arch. Manning. He chucks a 75-yard bomb to DeAndre Moore Jr. who was wide open for a touchdown. PAT good. Orange 14, White 7

4:45 1Q: Owens throws a rocket over the middle that hits Thatcher Milton for a 50-yard touchdown. That was after Sarkisian waived the facemask penalty the officials called on the play ... this is technically a practice, after all. PAT good. Orange 14, White 0

7:30 1Q: Freshman Trey Owens taking snaps at QB for the Orange team and he hits another freshman Ryan Wingo for a first down. That duo could be pretty dang good in a couple years for the Longhorns.

13:50 1Q: Alfred Collins is in the right place at the right time and collects a batted pass by Ethan Burke for a pick-six. PAT good. Orange 7, White 0

Pregame: If anyone needs a babysitter, it appears Bijan Robinson is available

Bevo is getting his first taste of DKR this season

JT Sanders is back in the house