For all the excitement over quarterback Arch Manning, the most important player on the field Saturday night was Texas running back Jaydon Blue.

The Longhorns were excited to welcome Blue back to the lineup after missing the UTSA game with an ankle injury. He didn’t disappoint, rushing for 124 yards and scoring four times in a 51-3 victory.

It was the first time this season Texas had a 100-yard rusher. Blue had rushing touchdowns of 1, 2 and 1 yards and also caught a touchdown pass from 3 yards out. It was the first time a Texas player had four touchdowns in a game since Bijan Robinson did it against Kansas in 2022.

“First, it starts off of with my preparation and trying to get back as quick as I can, and taking full advantage of my recovery,” Blue said. “It’s hard not being out there to play with those guys. So, being able to be back out there tonight, it’s just a good blessing.”

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Texas’ running back depth has been a major issue all season.

CJ Baxter and Christian Clark were lost to injuries during training camp. Fans held their breath when Blue hopped off the field against Michigan and went into the medical tent. He returned to that game but was held out the following week as a precaution. Complicating things, Quintrevion Wisner is also dinged up and was held out against ULM.

For Blue to bounce back so well, the Longhorns should be breathing a huge sigh of relief.

Blue’s best drive of the night came in the third quarter. Texas took over at its own 34-yard line with 13:24 showing on the clock. Blue started with back-to-back nine-yard gains. After an incomplete pass, Blue ripped off a 20-yard gain up the middle.

Blue went for seven yards, then three and three more down to the ULM 5-yard line. Coaches subbed in backup Jerrick Gibson, who punched it in from two yards out, giving Texas a 35-3 lead.

If there were any doubts about Blue’s health, that drive answered them.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said the plan to get Blue back onto the field started last Tuesday.

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“We said we’re really going to push him with the training staff and see what it looks like,” Sarkisian said. “And they really pushed him. We just came in the next day and we said, hey, you know what? If he’s going to play Saturday, I need to see him do about 50% of the practice. And then another really hard day with the training group and the training staff, and he did that and he responded well. So then we ramped him up Thursday, and he felt good.”

Sarkisian said once Blue figured out his ankle was bruised, the player learned “this thing isn’t what I kind of thought it was.”

“I think that gave him a lot of confidence,” Sarkisian said.

Texas finished with 239 rushing yards total. Gibson had 32 yards on nine carries, and walk-on Colin Page had 60 yards in mop-up duty. Ryan Niblett also had 12 yards and punched in a 1-yard touchdown run after replay officials took his score off the board for just missing the pylon inbounds.

Blue should’ve had even more yards, truth be told. Manning missed Blue running free down the sideline on a wheel route for what would’ve been a massive touchdown throw.

“He might have been 100/100 (yard) guy in this game, but he had a great game,” Sarkisian said. “And we need him. We really need him to be the style of offense we want to be, because of his versatility.”