Steve Sarkisian says Quinn Ewers 'had wind knocked out of him' vs. Oklahoma State

Quinn Ewers went down with an injury late in the third quarter of the Big 12 Championship Game. Texas led Oklahoma State 42-14 at the time.

However, he was helped to his feet and was able to walk off under his own power. However, his helmet was off when he went to the sideline.

Ewers suffered a shoulder injury earlier this season. Backup quarterback Maalik Murphy entered the game for one play before Ewers returned to the field to end the third quarter.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian provided an update on Ewers going into the fourth quarter.

“He’s fine, he just got the wind knocked out of him,” Sarkisian said to Molly McGrath on the ABC broadcast. “He’s back in now.”

At that point, Ewers had a Big 12 Championship record 402 yards passing, four touchdowns and one interception.

Steve Sarkisian reflects on Quinn Ewers’ growth

Speaking on last season’s showdown, Sarkisian explained where he’s seen his quarterback grow since that night against Oklahoma State.

“Games like that are part of the growing pains of playing the position. When you get on the road, and you get in a hostile environment, and early on things are going your way, and then things start not going your way for a variety of reasons,” Sarkisian said. “In that game, we had a couple of opportunities for some big plays and we didn’t pass protect very well for him.

“Then we had a couple opportunities for some big plays and we didn’t catch the ball very well for him. Then all of a sudden he misses a couple of throws and those types of things can snowball on you. I think the biggest thing that I’ve learned, and I think Quinn has learned that I’ve learned about him, is his demeanor.”

The good news is, there’s a good chance Ewers could return to Texas in 2024. That’ll give Texas a great chance in the SEC next season.