3 biggest disappointments for Texas in non-conference play

Injuries on both sides of the ball

Texas's injury luck at a handful of position groups on each side of the ball has been unfortunate over the last couple of months since training camp. The Longhorns had to rely on their depth and talent at key positions like running back, quarterback, and safety early this season during non-conference play.

Running back injuries have been a common occurrence for the Longhorns early this season. Sophomore running back CJ Baxter Jr. and true freshman Christian Clark were already out for the season during fall camp.

Literally every other scholarship running back for the Longhorns has been on the injury report for at least one game after the season's first five weeks.

"You know, I don't know if I've had the amount of injuries that we've had and I've been fortunate my career that I've had 1,000-yard rusher everywhere I've gone."

- Steve Sarkisian

Texas fortunately has prepared for the situations where they need to show off their depth and talent at the running back position, and even possibly move players from other position groups to take emergency reps out of the backfield this fall.

Safety has had similar injury issues for the Longhorns early this season. Four Texas safeties who were expected to be contributors and/or starters to the secondary this season have missed at least one game during non-conference play.

At the quarterback position, Texas had to start redshirt freshman quarterback Arch Manning for the first time in his collegiate career after redshirt junior starter Quinn Ewers suffered an abdominal injury two weeks ago against UTSA. Manning won the first start of his career in college in a 51-3 dominant victory for the Longhorns last weekend against the UL-Monroe Warhawks.

Ewers remains with a status of "questionable" for this weekend's matchup in the SEC opener against Mississippi State on the SEC-mandated injury report.