Texas QB Quinn Ewers Can Prove Worth With Alamo Bowl Win Over Washington
John Wayne lived by a motto that capsulated his demeanor both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.
Talk low, talk slow, and don't say too much.
Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers isn't the second coming of Wayne, but he lives by a similar mantra. His words are poignant in press conferences. They're direct. He doesn't waste time using filler words when a simple quick sentence will do the trick.
Maybe that's just Ewers. Perhaps he's nervous when it comes to delivering the right words in front of countless cameras and microphones.
That's fine. Ewers doesn't have to deliver award-winning speeches at the podium. But he will need to deliver for Texas in front of a packed Alamodome on Thursday night against Washington in the Alamo Bowl.
There's no safety net with Hudson Card waiting in the wings should Ewers struggle. He's off to begin a new chapter at Purdue. Freshman Maalik Murphy is unproven and Arch Manning won't be on campus until next month.
It's sink or swim. Time for the quarterback looking to answer the question of if he's the guaranteed starter entering 2023.
No, the Alamo Bowl isn't part of the New Year's Six matchups that bring in countless sponsors and thousands of fans from across the country. Then again, it isn't a slouch game, either. In the last 10 matchups, both teams representing the Pac-12 and Big 12 have been ranked seven times.
Thursday will mark eight. The No. 20 Longhorns (8-4, 5-3 Big 12) return to the Alamo City for their sixth appearance since 2006. The No. 12 Huskies (10-2, 7-2 Pac-12) likely had aspirations of playing in Pasadena as the conference's representative in the Rose Bowl before USC collapsed in the second half of the Pac-12 title game against Utah.
Texas versus Washington has the makings of becoming an instant classic in large part due to their respective offenses. The Huskies have a running back that's averaging 6.2 yards per play, a pair of 1,000-yard receivers and another playmaker that's averaging 17.9 yards per catch.
The Longhorns? There's talent, too. Just not as proven as Doak Walker winner Bijan Robinson and secondary running back Roschon Johnson, both of whom elected to opt-out and prepare for the NFL draft. Still, even without its 1-2 duo in the backfield, Texas has playmakers like Xavier Worthy, Ja'Tavion Sanders and Jordan Whittington.
Then again, the trio of pass-catchers will be idle if Ewers can't connect with them through the air. And make no mistake, there have been countless drives that have stalled in the passing game due to the Longhorns' young quarterback.
No one is doubting the 19-year-old redshirt freshman's talent. There's a reason nearly every major program made a ploy for his pledge while lighting up the stat sheet at Southlake Carroll just outside of Dallas. There were reasons why recruiting websites used words like "perfect" and "generational" when describing his skillset at the next level.
The potential is there. Fans have seen it. Remember his first quarter against then-No. 1 Alabama? You know, the one where he went 9-for-12 for 134 yards before suffering a shoulder injury that likely dictated the outcome of Week 2? Or how about his first game back, where he threw for 287 yards and four scores in a 49-0 ass-whopping against rival Oklahoma?
Potential can go far. Production goes further. And while Ewers showed upside in games against some programs, he struggled against others.
Ewers was the first to admit during the open media session Tuesday that he thought after the Red River Showdown, things would be trending up. They didn't. Two weeks after his best game, Ewers had his worst, completing 19 of 49 passes for 319 yards to go along with three interceptions in a loss to Oklahoma State.
Two weeks after that, he completed 43.6 percent of his throws and tossed a pick in a 17-10 loss to TCU.
“After the Oklahoma State game, I was like, ‘Yeah, I got to I got to really dig deep into these defenses and you know, really figure out tips and certain things like reminders that kind of helped me figure it out,'" Ewers said. "But that's football and just as important as the game is studying for the game.”
No one on the staff has given up on Ewers. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian praised the young passer for his "perseverance" during the rough patches. Sanders, who became Ewers' top target with 49 receptions for 576 yards, loved the way how "he’s turned all the trash-talking into positivity."
Sure, everyone in Austin could give Ewers the benefit of the doubt. The opposing sideline won't care, especially UW's quarterback Michael Penix Jr. In Year 1 of the reunion with Kalen DeBoer, Penix went on to lead the nation in passing yards with 4,354. Ten games ended with the former Indiana passer totaling over 300-plus yards through the air.
The Huskies are predicated on passing the football. Sarkisian knows this. So does Ewers.
"He has put up crazy numbers this year," Ewers said of Penix. "We know we're just going to go into it like we do every other game at the end of the day. Just try to get a dub."
No one is asking Ewers to go pound for pound in terms of production with Penix. A few deep balls, consistency on third down and a couple of trips to the red zone will do just fine. Anything over two touchdown passes to match the production of Jonathon Brooks and Jaydon Blue on the ground is more than enough in helping boost Ewers' stock.
Bowl games are meant to show promise for the future of a program. Texas has a bright one after nabbing a top-five recruiting class. It could be brighter if the program has continuity with the quarterback position.
Sometimes actions speak louder than words. Ewers isn't one for the latter, so a showcase to remember in San Antonio with the former will have to suffice.
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