Steve Sarkisian Sees Growth In Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers Following Red River Showdown
It's all coming together for Texas and redshirt freshman Quinn Ewers. If only he could've stayed healthy following a hit against Alabama linebacker Dallas Turner in Week 2.
Ewers returned to the gridiron Saturday, and with it, so have the Longhorns' chances of winning the Big 12 title come December. While Hudson Card was functional in the starting role, there's no denying a boost of play with Ewers now back commanding the huddle.
Texas (4-2, 2-1 Big 12) coach Steve Sarkisian can see a change in play at the position. More specifically, he can see development in Ewers' skills from Week 1's victory against Lousiana-Monore to Week 6's win in the Red River Showdown.
“I think that when he throws the ball, the feel of the pass comes naturally to him," Sarkisian said Monday at his weekly presser. "It doesn’t feel like it’s a gameplan thing or it's robotic like he did something in training with his QB coach. He’s dropping back, feeling that coverage, feeling our route, and he’s throwing the ball and he throws people open.”
Ewers was the difference-maker in the No. 22 Longhorns' 49-0 win over Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown. Returning from a shoulder injury, the Southlake Carroll native threw for 289 yards and four touchdowns against one interception.
A stat line will only tell one part of Ewers' performance. The eyes tell another. For a player that missed multiple weeks as a first-year starter, Ewers looked locked in like a veteran who had been there before.
Ewers was patient when delivering strikes across the middle to receivers such as Xavier Worthy and Jordan Whittington. He was sharp, simply dumping off the ball to the flats to the players like Bijan Robinson or Keilan Robinson when the deep ball option was eliminated.
When plays were open at the intermediate level, Ewers hit his targets as if it was second-hand knowledge. And when going deep, Ewers was accurate, connecting twice with tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders for touchdowns from 24 and 18 yards out.
"He just looks calm, relaxed the whole time," Whittington said. "If you went to war with somebody and you look at him and he's freaking out, you'd probably freak out. You got Quinn in a war with you, you're just chilling. So I'd be relaxed, too."
Sarkisian said one of the biggest challenges for a team playing with two quarterbacks is based on the way the offense is run. With Card, plays moved at a cool, consistent level, but also ate up much of the clock.
With Ewers, plays came in swiftly. His throws were decisive and his attention to detail was crisp. Because of it, the Longhorns were able to record 585 yards of offense en route to their largest victory against a Power 5 opponent since 2007.
Ewers will be full-go when Texas returns to Royal-Memorial Stadium to take on Iowa State. Last season, the Horns battled early but collapsed late en route to a 30-7 loss in Ames.
That night ended up being one featuring one of the more iconic moments in the Sarkisian era thanks to a viral video that plastered social media for weeks. Thanks to defensive line coach Bo Davis' passionate flare-up, the Horns might have turned the corner for good.
The Cyclones (3-3, 0-3 Big 12) have held opponents to 13.7 points per game, which leads the Big 12 and ranks eighth-best nationally. Then again, Matt Campbell's roster has yet to face a quarterback like Ewers through six games.
"Hopefully we perform better than we did a year ago, and we need to; these guys are a very good defensive football team," Sarkisian said.
You can follow Cole Thompson on Twitter @MrColeThompson
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