Steve Sarkisian announces Quinn Ewers as starter versus Oklahoma
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian told Longhorn Network’s Alex Loeb prior to the Longhorns’ game versus Oklahoma that Quinn Ewers will start at quarterback. Inside Texas reported on Thursday that Ewers would start in the Red River Shootout.
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Ewers, a Southlake (Texas) Carroll product, has not played since the Alabama game. Crimson Tide defender Dallas Turner landed on Ewers as the Longhorn quarterback was attempting to throw a ball away near the end of the second quarter. Sarkisian has described Ewers as “day-to-day” since then, and Ewers has suited up for each of the last three games.
Prior to his injury, Ewers was 25-for-36 for 359 yards and two touchdowns over one interception. Against Alabama, Ewers began 9-of-12 for 134 yards before he was forced to leave the game.
Hudson Card had taken all the snaps at quarterback while the former Five-Star Plus+ prospect healed up, helping Texas go 2-2 in Ewers’ absence. Card so far this year is 74-of-107 for 923 yards and six touchdowns to one interception.
Sarkisian ultimately decided to go back to Ewers, who won the job in preseason camp, instead of staying with Card.
Ewers’ return comes ahead of the annual Red River Shootout with Oklahoma, whose defense has struggled this season under first-year head coach Brent Venables. The Sooners are entering the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas on a two-game losing streak with losses to Kansas State and at TCU. The Wildcats and the Horned Frogs each accumulated over 500 yards of total offense against OU, with TCU notching 668 total yards.
The Sooners rank No. 109 in total defense entering Saturday’s rivalry matchup. The Longhorn offense ranks No. 61 in total offense, averaging 417.4 yards per game.
With Ewers back on the field, Sarkisian and company hope to see those numbers only rise thanks to Ewers’ ability to ”make all the throws,” as the Longhorn head coach described it in August.
