The Sunday Pulpit (via Loewy Law Firm): Steve Sarkisian stands by Quinn Ewers
- Inside the 40 Acres
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Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian inherited a quarterback room he did not love. His predecessor left him Casey Thompson and Hudson Card. Sarkisian was used to having quarterbacks who were viewed as a Mercedes Benz S-Class. Instead, he was given the keys to a used Toyota Corolla and a used Volkswagen Jetta.
Sarkisian decided to have a quarterback battle to determine which quarterback would start in the 2021 season. Card won the job during training camp. However, after Card melted down against Arkansas, Sarkisian switched to Thompson. Sarkisian did not love Thompson. He just went with the best remaining used car option.
When Quinn Ewers entered the transfer portal and Sarkisian convinced the Ohio State athlete to attend Texas, the coach finally had THE quarterback he wanted. Sarkisian had Card battle Ewers for the job before the 2022 season. Even though many people believed Card played better during the offseason, Sarkisian did not hesitate to announce Ewers as his starter during training camp. Ewers immediately stabilized the quarterback room at Texas. He led Texas to a win against Alabama on the road, a Big 12 Championship, and the playoffs in 2023. Ewers led Texas to a victory at Michigan this season and was playing well before missing two starts due to an oblique injury this season.
That history is why Sarkisian still supports Ewers.
And that is unlikely to change with four regular season games remaining and the playoffs looming.
I thought Ketch objectively laid out the facts after Texas defeated Vanderbilt, 27-24, on Saturday.
“As for the Quinn Ewers set of storylines, it was truly a tale of two halves. Ewers was All-America level in the first 2 quarters, but he was something far less than that in the second half. Check out these numbers by Ewers over the course of the game:
1Q: 12 of 13 for 126 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT (201.3 rating)
2Q: 7 of 8 for 85 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT (218.0 rating)
3Q: 6 of 9 for 39 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT (103.1 rating)
4Q: 2 of 7 for 36 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT (74.2 rating)16
“That's a passer rating of 76.7 in the final two quarters of the game.
“Is that about Ewers? Is this the offense? Is it just a perfect storm?
“I tend to want to give him the benefit of the doubt for a strong game because the two interceptions weren't really awful plays by him, but there's no question that the second half wasn't good enough.
“The talk from the last week won't go away.”
Nevertheless, Sarkisian was asked if the version of Ewers we saw against Vanderbilt was good enough to achieve their goals this season.
If so, how do you get that out of him every week?
“I think he played really well,” Sarkisian said. “If he plays like that the rest of the year, we're going to be okay. We're going to be just fine."
Yep, he said that.
"Again, bad luck, tipped balls," Sarkisian said. "So that was that. I think how we get to that is just to keep instilling confidence in him and him believing in himself. I think he should be able to do that. You can't get kind of worse than how it went for him last week, especially in that first half, and his ability to bounce back and show that resolve that he showed … I always say that the sign of the true character of a man is in the face of adversity. That was a lot of adversity for him. A lot of adversity for us as a team coming off of last week's game. I think the way he responded was kind of indicative of how we responded as a team.
“If we can get that version of Quinn yours for the rest of the way, we'll be okay.”
What about those tipped passes?
“The first one was an RPO, and I couldn't even really see,” Sarkisian said. “It was a blitzing linebacker, I think, that kind of got his hand up. I mean, it's not his fault. It's not anybody's fault. Sometimes that just happens, balls get tipped. The second one, again, was it was unfortunate. You never try to throw over people, but when balls get tipped at the line of scrimmage, you naturally have to throw over people.
“But again, I don't fault him for those things. It was really just unfortunate because I thought he played a really good football game tonight. Made some really critical throws on third-downs for explosive plays. I thought he took advantage of throws when he had him on the perimeter. Used his legs a couple of times, effective a couple of times. I thought he stepped up beautifully. Had a great one on a third-and-long conversion to Silas Bolden, working up in the pocket.
“Hey, it's been a long week for him, too. I was proud of him in the way that he came and attacked this game tonight. And again, I thought he played really well. Had some, like I said, just kind of bad luck with the tips.”
What about those four sacks by Vanderbilt?
“I got to look at that, too,” Sarkisian said. “One of them, I felt like we should have been much better, for sure. There was another one where we have a miscommunication and the running back doesn't block his man, and that's a little concerning because that's two weeks in a row now on third-down that that's occurred. Again, that has a part in all that. Us as coaches do, too, and we have to improve that.”
Sarkisian's unwavering support for Ewers is a testament to his commitment to building a program centered around a quarterback he truly believes in.
For a Texas team that once battled quarterback controversies and inconsistent play, Ewers' arrival signaled stability and a level of ambition that fans had been craving. It’s no small feat to navigate the waves of critique, game-to-game analysis, and in-game breakdowns, but Sarkisian knows that if Ewers can bottle up that first-half brilliance and avoid the late-game dips, Texas football can continue its potential playoff run.
Sarkisian’s confidence in Ewers is like finally having that dream car you’ve always wanted – one built to handle the sharp turns and sudden stops that Texas football throws at you.
Unlike the previous “used car” choices he inherited, Ewers is Sarkisian’s handpicked model, and despite a few dents and dings along the way, Sarkisian isn’t ready to trade him in right now.
Even for the latest model that some Longhorn fans believe could be an upgrade.
The 2024 Arch Manning (limited edition).
Sarkisian still supports Ewers.
“I think it's just a real credit to him, even coming off of last week's game,” Sarkisian said. “When doubt creeps into your mind, that's a killer. I didn't think there was a sliver of doubt in his mind. It was a bad luck. He made a great read ball, got tipped, and an interception. He came right back out. Believed in his preparation and in the plan, and really executed at a very high-level tonight. I really want to credit him and his maturity, his belief in himself, his confidence.
“I want to credit his teammates. I think all week those guys were making sure they were pumping him up and getting him ready to go.”
Players Notes
(Provide by UT)
QUINN EWERS, QB
• Ewers has now tossed a touchdown pass in 19-consecutive games, dating back to the 2022 season.
• He now has 16 career games with multiple touchdown passes.
• Ewers threw 17-straight completions during the game for 200 yards (first and second quarters), which is tied for the third-longest streak in program history.
• As a result of throwing for 288 yards on 27-of-37 passing, Ewers became the seventh student-athlete in program history to pass for 7,000-or-more (7,045) during their career on the Forty Acres. Ewers will enter Texas' next game just 52 yards from passing Chris Simms (1999-02) for sixth on the program's career passing yards leaderboard.
• Ewers also became the sixth different student-athlete in program history to throw 50-or-more (51) career touchdowns. He'll enter the Longhorns' next contest just three touchdown passes from passing James Brown (1994-97) for fifth on the program's career passing touchdown list.
DEANDRE MOORE, JR., WR
• Moore, Jr., claimed his second career game with multiple touchdown receptions after recording a pair in the first half versus the Commodores. The California native also had a pair of receiving touchdowns earlier this season against Mississippi State on Saturday, Sept. 28.
• Moore, Jr., is one of four (Isaiah Bond vs. UTSA, Matthew Golden vs. Colorado State, Johntay Cook II vs. UTSA) different Longhorn student-athletes to finish a game with two-or-more touchdowns this season. However, Moore, Jr., is the only Texas football student-athlete to have multiple games this season with two-or-more receiving touchdowns: vs. Mississippi State, at Vanderbilt.
• Moore, Jr., also set a career high with six receptions on eight targets. The sophomore finished Saturday's contest as Texas' leading receiver with 97 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the afternoon.
MATTHEW GOLDEN, WR
• Golden caught his fourth touchdown reception on the year and first since vs. Michigan on Sept. 7 after pulling in a three-yard score from QB Quinn Ewers in the first quarter.
JAKE MAJORS, C
• Saturday's game marked the 50th career collegiate football game—and 49th career start—for Majors, tying him with Derek Kerstetter (2017-21), Quandre Diggs (2011-14) and Dan Neil (1993-96) for eighth on the program's all-time starts list.
MICHAEL TAAFFE, DB
• Taaffe registered his fourth career interception and first of the season after picking off Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavea in the second quarter and returning it for nine yards to the Texas 31-yard line.
• Taaffe, at the time of the pick, was the eighth different Longhorn defender to record an interception this season.
LIONA LEFAU, LB
• With 5:13 remaining in the fourth quarter, sophomore linebacker Liona Lefau picked off Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, marking the first career interception for the Hawaii native.
Funniest Things You Will See This Week
This man is a national treasure
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All Karens report you to the HOA, right?
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He did not have to scare them like that
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Training Day Denzel or Man on Fire Denzel?
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Every parent can identify with this dream scenario
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Sports On A Dime
1. Sarkisian on entering the bye week with a 7-1 record: “As competitive as I am, I want to win them all. But when you're 7-1 … I'm not here to sing the blues. We've had to endure some injury stuff here that is that has been pretty unique at very specific positions. Got us at the safety room. We were thin there. It had us pretty good at the running back room. It's gotten us a little in the receiver room right now. I'm proud that we're able to get to this juncture of the season at 7-1. I know that the next four games are all going to be very challenging, and they're all good football teams that we're going to have to take on one at a time.
“But the beauty of that is, I think we know how to do that. We understand that the mental intensity, the focus that is needed one week at a time, I think we know how to do it because that's what it's going to take. Yes, there's going to be some physical fatigue that the last four games are going to tax us with, but it's the mental focus that's needed, because if you get mentally fatigued, that's when your preparation can wane, and that's when maybe you're not quite ready to play. That'll be our task, that'll be our challenge, and we’ll address a lot of that next week throughout the bye in a position to go and do that.”
2. Sarkisian on having less per snap in the second half: “It kind of just kind of got frustrating. I'll be honest with you, I was kind of getting a little frustrated. It's one thing to get a holding penalty on a one-yard run. We were getting holding penalties on chunk plays. Then you go backward, and then you get off schedule. I think when we're on schedule as an offense, we're really good. We got off schedule the second half, and things got difficult for us.”
3. Sarkisian said they did not sustain any major injuries against Vanderbilt. He said there were a few minor injuries but nothing substantial.
4. It is easy to point the finger at Ewers, but the run game has room for improvement. In eight games this season, there have only been two 100-yard performances by Longhorn running backs (124 yards by Jaydon Blue against ULM and 118 yards by Quintrevious Wisner against Oklahoma.) Texas will need more from its running backs after the bye week.
5. ICYMI
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6. We have one more week to care about the college football rankings from writers and coaches until the real begins. the College Football Playoff Selection Committee releases its first ranking on November 5 (Election Night) and its final ranking on December 8.
7. Another important date to remember is December 9. The transfer portal opens on that day and the window closes on December 28.
8. Well, damn. Texas A&M might be pretty darn good.
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9. Yahoo college football writer Ross Dellenger's latest report revealed that athletes who participate in Olympic sports will have trouble obtaining scholarships in the future.
Here is a portion of the story:
"On Nov. 13, college athletes across the country can sign financial aid agreements with their chosen university.
"While the NCAA eliminated the National Letter of Intent program, signing day remains in place as a seminal moment for college-bound athletes to make their verbal commitments binding. It is traditionally a celebrated day.
"For some, that’s not the case this year.
"Hundreds of college prospects, many of them participating in Olympic sports, are in a precarious position as the signing date approaches. Schools have eliminated roster spots and, for some, scholarship offers that they were once promised. Meanwhile, several dozen current college athletes are being notified that they are no longer part of their teams — some of the notifications arriving after the fall semester even began.
"The actions are a result of a significant and overshadowed roster change affiliated with the NCAA’s historic settlement of an antitrust lawsuit (House). While the NCAA and power conferences agreed to expand upon scholarships as part of the settlement, they also imposed roster limits for sports, many of which did not previously exist.
"Such a change will result in thousands of lost roster spots for mostly walk-on athletes and those on partial scholarship — a consequence that, while previously reported by Yahoo Sports, has now sparked outrage from hundreds of parents of athletes or prospective athletes whose spots have been or will soon be eliminated."
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10. Nico Estevez, let’s do it
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NEW! Texas Men's Basketball Commit: John Clark, Link Academy
- Inside the 40 Acres
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Texas Men's Basketball received a commitment tonight from Link Academy (Branson, MO) through Houston (Klein Cain), Texas, John Clark.
Clark is ranked as the #7 Power Forward and #42 Overall Player according to Rivals
This is Rodney Terry and Texas' first commitment in the 2025 Class and for a second consecutive year the Longhorns have received a commitment from Link Year Academy (Tre Johnson).
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don't forget to change your clocks, you bunch of doofs
- By mln59
- Inside the 40 Acres
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we fell back this morning. i promise to not change the clock in my car as that's funny to me
