National analyst says what every Longhorns fan is thinking regarding Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning vs. Georgia
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has gone above and beyond this season protecting Quinn Ewers and keeping a quarterback controversy far from the Longhorns’ locker room. He’s been remarkably consistent — Ewers is the starter, Arch Manning is the backup. Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt is convinced Sarkisian is facing a critical moment either this weekend […]
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has gone above and beyond this season protecting Quinn Ewers and keeping a quarterback controversy far from the Longhorns’ locker room.
He’s been remarkably consistent — Ewers is the starter, Arch Manning is the backup.
Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt is convinced Sarkisian is facing a critical moment either this weekend in the SEC championship game or the College Football Playoffs. At some point, the coach has to utilize the more mobile Manning more than Ewers, Klatt believes.
And Sarkisian could be staring down the same decision Alabama coach Nick Saban made in the 2018 CFP with Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa.
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“Remember, this is the game that Steve Sarkisian benched Quinn Ewers and went to Arch Manning right before half. So it's interesting. We'll have to see how tight of a leash Quinn Ewers has, and even with that angle being banged up,” Klatt said on his podcast “The Joel Klatt Show.”
“Let’s remember the last time we saw Georgia. What were they doing? They were giving up a ton of yards yardage to the quarterback of Georgia Tech, Haynes King. So the legs of Arch Manning, could that be a factor in this game? Very well might be.
“If I watching the film of that game from last week, and I’m watching that Georgia defense, which has not played very well since that game against Texas, I would just say, like, that could be an advantage for Texas.”
Sarkisian did use Manning in specific quarterback-run situations last Saturday against Texas A&M. Manning scored on an impressive 15-yard touchdown run early. However, the rest of the play-calling whenever Manning was in seemed vanilla.
The plays cried out for a Manning fake hand-off and quick pass over the middle. Sarkisian, who wants the opponents “burning some chalk” on their sideline, has given Georgia’s Kirby Smart plenty to think about this week.
“I'm starting to come around to this idea that like Arch might be a better option, but he's more inexperienced. It's very difficult,” Klatt said.
Klatt compared Texas’ situation to what Alabama faced in 2018.
“There was a very real possibility that Tua was going to start against Clemson in the playoff that year, in the semifinal. Hurts starts. They win the game,” Klatt said. “They give him a start in the national championship, and he gets the quick hook at halftime. Tua comes in and they win the national championship.
“I’m just posing it, because in this matchup, I think the quarterback is going to have to run, and the more dynamic running threat is arch. I think that that's pretty clear.”
