Sep 193 min read

Texas Prepares for First Game as No. 1 Team in 16 Years

Texas | Texas QB Arch Manning — © Sara Diggins/American-Statesman/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns (3-0) take the field as the No. 1-ranked team in the country as they host Louisiana-Monroe (2-0) at 8 p.m. ET on Sept. 21 at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas.

It will be No. 1 Texas' first game as the top-ranked team since 2008 and the third meeting between the two schools. Texas is 2-0 against the Warhawks and has scored at least 50 points in both meetings. This also marks Texas' final game before its first Southeastern Conference contest.

Key Players: Texas

Offense

Arch Manning, QB

Starting quarterback Quinn Ewers has been ruled out this week due to injury, and redshirt freshman Arch Manning is the next man up. Manning has impressed in two appearances this season, throwing for 318 yards and 5 touchdowns with an additional 53 yards and 2 scores on the ground.

Jerrick Gibson, RB

Texas' running back depth has been tested, but Gibson has emerged as the team's leading rusher. The freshman has 178 yards and 2 touchdowns this season while splitting time in the backfield with Jaydon Blue and Quintrevion Wisner.

Isaiah Bond, Ryan Wingo and Matthew Golden, WRs

This is the trio that has stepped up the most in Texas' reloaded passing attack. Bond leads the team with 215 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Golden also has 3 touchdown catches. Wingo was a big-time player against UTSA (1-2) on Sept. 14 with a 127-yard performance that included a 75-yard touchdown.

Gunnar Helm, TE

Helm has the third-most receiving yards and catches for the Longhorns and has been a factor in the passing game over the last two weeks. He only needs 4 more catches, 3 more yards, and 1 more touchdown to match his career-best season from last year with at least nine more games to go.

Defense

Anthony Hill Jr. and David Gbenda, LBs

Hill Jr. and Gbenda have been all over the field and are Texas' leading tacklers. They have both brought inspired play in run defense from the linebacker spot.

Defensive Backs

Head coach Steve Sarkisian has repeatedly mentioned the secondary as a massive reason for the unit's improvement early in the season. Jahdae Barron, Andrew Mukuba, Jaylon Guilbeau and Michael Taaffe are all among the Longhorns' top tacklers and each has at least one pass defense this season

Collin Simmons, DL/LB

The freshman has come on strong, leading Texas with 2 sacks through three weeks.

Key Players: Louisiana Monroe

Offense

General Booty, QB

The Oklahoma transfer hasn't had the chance to throw much this season, but he is completing 63.3 percent of his attempts and has a touchdown pass.

Ahmad Hardy and James Jones, RBs

ULM of the Sun Belt Conference runs the ball much more than it passes, and Hardy and Jones lead the way. Both have run for over 100 yards on the season and have a healthy yards-per-carry average.