Nobody coach defends his quarterbacks harder than Steve Sarkisian, an old quarterback himself.

The Texas coach didn’t want to address a question earlier this week about whether Saturday’s game was Quinn Ewers’ last at Royal-Memorial Stadium. But Thursday, Sarkisian gave full-throated praise for what Ewers has accomplished and hopes that “he’s enjoying this experience, because this stuff is once in a lifetime.”

Ewers will be front and center Saturday when No. 3 Texas (9-1, 5-1 SEC) battles Kentucky (4-6, 1-6) to stay in the SEC title race. 

“He’s a guy that leads us to a Big 12 championship last year, to a College Football Playoff game, and we’re one play away from playing for a national title,” Sarkisian said. “And he comes back and here we go again.

“We’re 9-1 and we’re in the Southeastern Conference and we’re competing for a conference championship and an opportunity to get back in the playoffs,” he added. “And through all that, he's endured a couple pretty significant injuries, and he continues to fight back.

“So I’m hopeful that, A, he’s enjoying it. B, that he’s learning some real life lessons about how to deal with adversity, and I’m hopeful that he’s pouring into those that are really close to him. Because, you know, everybody loves the winner. Everybody loves the quarterback when the team does well and you’re playing well. But you also have to deal with, you know, the flip side of that when, when things don't go well.”

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Then, Sarkisian had some parting words for those Texas fans critical of Ewers online.

“I tell this to all Longhorn Nation. Like, we’re 9-1 for the second year in a row,” Sarkisian said. “We’re competing for a conference championship for the second year in a row. We’re competing for a spot in the College Football Playoff for the second year in a row.

“Don’t forget what the last decade looked like, OK? Let’s just remember how good we got it right now and appreciate this team of how good they're playing right now.”

Texas QB Quinn Ewers remains in full command despite some Longhorns fans calling for backup Arch Manning

Ewers’ numbers may be down a little this season, but ‘I mean, we’re 9-1. I’m pretty excited about that.’

With this team, Sarkisian is going to ride or die with Ewers at the controls. It likely pained the coach to pull Ewers in the second quarter against Georgia when the offense was struggling, but it was the right decision at the time. Backup Arch Manning didn’t fare much better. And it was the correct decision to go back to Ewers in the second half.

Ewers has led Texas to 23 wins in 30 starts in three seasons at Texas. He’s currently on a 21-game streak of throwing at least one touchdown pass. It’s the longest streak since Colt McCoy threw a touchdown in 29 straight games from 2007-09. Just two games ago, Ewers threw five touchdowns against Florida.

All that said, it’s still unclear whether Ewers will indeed move on to the NFL this spring as many inside the program expected him to do. Manning has long been projected as the starter for the 2025 season.

If Ewers wanted to return to Texas in 2025, that doesn’t seem like a situation Sarkisian wants to deal with. The Horns could lose Manning to the transfer portal.

Ewers has a chance to go out a major winner this season. Leading Texas to a win over Texas A&M, then its first SEC title and back to the CFP would cement Ewers as one of the greatest quarterbacks in school history. Statistically, he’s already in that conversation.

That’s why Sarkisian’s advice to Ewers’ naysayers: Chill out.

“The point is, when you know your circle, and you can keep your circle tight, and you know where your support is coming from, which, in his case, that locker room loves him and will do anything for him,” Sarkisian said, “that’s when the appreciation can really kick in.”