Texas HC Steve Sarkisian makes final playing decision on QB Quinn Ewers heading into Oklahoma rivalry
Quarterback Quinn Ewers’ appearance at Wednesday night’s pep rally at the UT Tower was the tell. Then midday Thursday, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian made it official. Ewers will start Saturday against No. 18 Oklahoma, the coach said. Ewers has missed the last 2 1/2 games with a strained abdominal injury suffered in the first half […]
Quarterback Quinn Ewers’ appearance at Wednesday night’s pep rally at the UT Tower was the tell. Then midday Thursday, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian made it official.
Ewers will start Saturday against No. 18 Oklahoma, the coach said.
Ewers has missed the last 2 1/2 games with a strained abdominal injury suffered in the first half UTSA in week three. It didn’t require any sort of surgery, mostly just rest. Sarkisian has pointed to the Red River rivalry for Ewers’ potential return point while backup Arch Manning minded the store.
No. 1 Texas (5-0, 1-0 SEC) is the last unbeaten team left in the SEC and a two-touchdown favorite over OU (4-1, 1-1).
“Injuries are different,” Sarkisian said Thursday. “I think there’s obviously a medical component to this, of when he is cleared by doctors to play. I mean, whether I think he can play or not, he has to be cleared to play.
“Then it goes to myself. What does my eye tell me? Not only from a physical ability, but also from a mental ability to be ready to go play.”
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Texas football players dismissive of Oklahoma LB Danny Stutsman T-shirt designed to stir the Red River rivalry
It’s Texas-Oklahoma week. Nothing is too petty. Texas players were reminded Monday about the opportunistic Danny Stutsman creating a now-iconic T-shirt after last year’s Sooners victory. A photo captured Stutsman sitting in his Cotton Bowl locker, wearing the Golden Hat trophy and smoking a cigar. That image landed on the front of the shirt. The […]
Sarkisian noted that players can be physically ready but perhaps mentally “not playing 100% full speed and that can be dangerous, too.”
“So I guess there’s science involved, there’s gut instinct involved, there’s psyche involved. There’s a lot that goes into it,” the coach added. “But in the end, we’re just trying to instill confidence in the player that he’s more than capable of going and doing it.”
Ewers sure looked ready on the South Mall on Wednesday night. Hundreds of Texas students jammed the area for the annual Texas Fight Rally, an annual event before every Texas-OU game. Ewers and his teammates took turns on the microphone getting the crowd hyped for the 120th installment of the historic matchup.
It’s critical that Ewers have solid protection, not only for his abdomen but for his general health overall. The Sooners have a terrific pass rush; they’re tied for ninth nationally with 18 sacks this season.
Sarkisian credited OU’s players, scheme and effort. “You put all those three things together, they do a heck of a job getting to the quarterback, and because of that, they do a heck of a job creating havoc, which I think leads to the opportunistic defense that they have, where they create turnovers.”
The Texas offensive line was just given a “midseason honor roll” designation by the Joe Moore Award, which is presented annually to the best offensive line in college football. The unit has allowed a quarterback pressure on just 20.8% of drop-back pass attempts, the ninth-lowest total in FBS.
This week, the Horns are protecting more than their reputation. They’re protecting QB1 in his first game back in almost a month.
“There’s layers to what they do,” Sarkisian said. “And we know we've got to work that out for us this week with that.”
