Texas quarterback Arch Manning thought his first start for the Longhorns would be “probably a C-plus” as his team won 51-3 over Louisiana-Monroe.

“Having so many playmakers around you, it definitely brings the comfort level up for me,” he told reporters after the game. “We’ve got a lot of different receivers catching balls tonight. Just to get them in space and make plays is huge.”

The player replaced the injured Quinn Ewers and completed 15 of 29 passes for 258 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

“To think he was going to have a perfect game, I don’t think anybody here thought that,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “I thought he was going to prepare really well, work really hard, do everything he could to play good football. He was going to learn some lessons, and I think that’s what tonight was all about.”

If he were honest, Sarkisian might be grateful that Manning had some bright spots but also made some mistakes. At least for now, Texas avoids a quarterback controversy that would serve as an unwanted distraction amid the team’s quest to reach the College Football Playoff.