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We learned a lot about Texas redshirt freshman Quinn Ewers during his quarterback battle with Hudson Card this offseason.
Ewers took full advantage of his opportunity at Texas after his bad experience at Ohio State. He quickly emerged as the quarterback Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian was grooming to lead his program. Ewers excelled during the spring. He started to settle into a leadership role this summer. He battled Card during training camp and was named the starter on Friday.
You are well aware of how he performed during this past Saturday's scrimmage. He had two interceptions, and one pick-six, but he was solid throughout the scrimmage. One interception occurred as Ewers was hit while attempting a pass and the other took place after a walk-on receiver fell on the route. Those in attendance were extremely happy with what they saw. But here is something everybody did not see on Saturday.
After the scrimmage, Ewers decided to go the extra mile and throw passes to Xavier Worthy. It was just the two of them working together. Ewers perfecting the timing with his number one receiver. Worthy helping his quarterback and roommate improve. Sure, it is a little thing. But it indicates a quarterback embracing his role and wanting to excel.
Ewers is your starting quarterback.
It is time to grow with him.
The journey to this decision is similar to a plane ride that was very smooth until turbulence occurred before the landing. Longhorn fans will talk about the pilots at every website – yep, there is plenty of room in the cockpit guided by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with Leslie Nielsen on board – telling fans to brace for a crash landing. However, we arrived safely at our destination, on time, Ewers is the starting quarterback, and everyone can grab a drink at the airport restaurant to celebrate.
Burnt Orange old-fashioned, please.
It is time for the Ewers era to begin.
This battle did not have the suspense of Casey Thompson versus Card. We knew it was just a matter of time before Sam Ehlinger dethroned Shane Buechele. Tyrone Swoopes vs. Buechele appeared to be a meaningful battle at the time before the team finished 5-7 and the coach was fired after the season. This battle did not have a flare for dramatics.
From the moment Ewers committed to Texas, it was just a matter of time before Sarkisian named him the starting quarterback. Sarkisian never recruited Ewers thinking he would sit for one season and learn. The goal was always to prepare Ewers to start in the season opener.
Good for Ewers.
I cannot imagine how difficult the Ohio State experience was for him. He had high hopes when he took his talents to Columbus. When it did not work out, that fanbase had nothing but negative things about Ewers. He was forced to deal with his name being tarnished but it never stopped the young man from pursuing his dream of playing college football.
Ewers entered a quarterback battle with Card when offseason workouts began. Card was the incumbent who seemingly had the advantage after spending a year in Sarkisian’s system. Ewers was the redshirt freshman who should have been at a disadvantage.
A little birdie told me the competition was even entering training camp but Ewers started to pull away this week. I heard that Ewers stood out during Thursday’s practice and scored on multiple red zone opportunities. That was enough for Sarkisian to pull the trigger and decide to start Ewers.
If that little birdie is wrong, I will not be sad to see it fly into an office window this week.
Photo via AP
“I think one of our challenges is, one, we had spring ball to assess his strengths and maybe some things we know he needed to work on,” Sarkisian said. “We tried to work on those things in the summer. Then you try to address those things. You reevaluate kind of that first week of camp and then you try to address it again. And then what you try to do is when they play is put them in position to do the things that they do well, and Quinn's no different. When he's playing, we're trying to call the things that I know he does well, while we're still working on some of those other areas that we know he can improve upon as we grow.
“That would be no different for Quinn or for Hud or for anybody. We really try as a staff to put our players in the best position to be successful. The quarterback is the easy one to see. If there's some intricacies in the game that maybe aren't as fluid for him right now, that's our job not to put him in that position to do those things yet until we keep repping it with him to get him feeling really good about it.”
That also means Sarkisian needs to exercise patience.
Sarkisian decided Card would be his starter after the first scrimmage last season. However, Sarkisian pulled the plug on that experiment after his team’s loss against Arkansas and tried not to look back. Sarkisian continued to play Thompson even though the quarterback’s injured thumb prevented him from gripping the football.
Nevertheless, the leash on Ewers needs to be long enough to extend from Austin to every city in the Big 12.
Sarkisian needs to stick with Ewers through the predictable ups and downs of this season.
Will Ewers have great moments?
Absolutely.
Will Ewers have moments when he looks like a quarterback who has not played since his junior season in high school?
Absolutely.
Regardless, Sarkisian needs to stick with his quarterback and not look back.
In an ideal world, Ewers hits the ground running and Mullet Mania takes over the Longhorn fanbase. I would love to say Ewers will lead Texas to the Big 12 Championship Game this season. It would be great if everyone could dare to dream big.
Once again, I think Longhorn fans should proceed with caution and allow the young man to grow.
Here is a look at Sarkisian’s history with first-year quarterbacks (I included his years as an assistant).
2003 – Matt Leinart, USC
Last season, Sarkisian pointed to this season as the toughest coaching decision of his career. After Carson Palmer graduated, Matt Cassel and Leinart battled for the
starting position. Sarkisian described it as a close battle and he eventually chose Leinart, the younger quarterback.
Year one as Sarkisian’s starter: Completed 255 of 402 passes for 3,556 yards, 38 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
Team record: 12-1
2004 – Kerry Collins, Oakland Raiders
Sarkisian departed USC and served as the quarterback coach in Oakland for one season. Rich Gannon began the season as Oakland’s starting quarterback but sustained a
career-ending neck injury after three games. Collins was a former first-round pick who played on three teams before signing with Oakland as a backup quarterback.
To be fair, Collins started in the NFL before joining Oakland. However, Collins’ career was a major disappointment. It only took Sarkisian one season to rebuild Collins.
Year one as Sarkisian’s starter: Collins completed 289 of 513 passes for 3,495 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions.
Team record: 5-11
2006 – John David Booty, USC
Sarkisian returned to USC as the quarterbacks coach in 2005. He worked with Leinart for one more season before battling highly regarded redshirt freshman Mark Sanchez. Booty came from a football family. His brother Josh was the LSU quarterback in 1999-2000, and another brother, Abram, was a wide receiver at LSU from 1997-99 and at Valdosta State in 2000.
Year one as Sarkisian’s starter: Booty completed 269 of 436 passes for 3,347 yards, 29 touchdowns, and nine interceptions
Team record: 11-2
2008 – Mark Sanchez, USC
Sanchez entered the offseason as the front-runner to start but had to compete against Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain and freshman Aaron Corp. After a healthy quarterback battle, Sanchez emerged as Sarkisian’s quarterback by the end of spring practice. Once again, another Sarkisian starter hit the ground running.
Year one as Sarkisian’s starter: Sanchez completed 241 of 366 passes for 3,207 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
Team record: 12-1
2009 – Jake Locker, Washington
Sarkisian inherited a team that finished 0-12 under Tyrone Willingham in 2008. Ronnie Fouch was the starting quarterback and completed 113 of 250 passes for 1,339 yards, four touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. When Sarkisian took over, Fouch battled Jake Locker for the starting position. Clearly, you know how that story ended.
Year one as Sarkisian’s starter: Locker completed 230 of 394 passes for 2,800 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
Team record: 5-7
2011 – Keith Price, Washington
After Locker departed, Keith Price battled Nick Montana for the starting position. The most interesting aspect about Price and Sarkisian is not what occurred in year one but in 2012. Price struggled in the team’s first three games, but Sarkisian scoffed at the notion of benching Price.
Check out a portion of this SBNation story:
"Washington Huskies' coach Steve Sarkisian dispelled any rumors he would be benching quarterback Keith Price on Monday, calling the notion crazy, the Seattle Times reported.
"The Huskies have lost three straight, albeit two of those games were against No. 2 Oregon and No. 11 USC. But the Huskies haven't really been close, outscored 128-52 during the streak.
Price has especially struggled, throwing seven interceptions and fumbling away the football three times. His pair of fumbles against USC were absolute momentum killers, as the Huskies only lost 24-14.
"When asked if he is contemplating a switch at quarterback, Sarkisian emphatically replied that Price would remain the Huskies' man running the offense:
"I wouldn't do anything ever to put him in a situation where I think he wouldn't be successful. So my goal is that he believes in me and in my ability to prepare him, to put together a game plan and to call plays that he can execute at a high level."
"If Sarkisian remains consistent, it is unlikely the quarterback who wins the starting position will have a short leash this season.
Year one as Sarkisian’s starter: Price completed 242 of 362 passes for 3,063 yards, 33 TDs, and 11 INTs
Team record: 7-6
2020 – Mac Jones, Alabama
Sarkisian worked with Tua Tagovailoa in 2019 before Mac Jones and Bryce Young battled for the starting job before last season. Jones threw for 1,503 passing yards in the 2019 season and completed 14 touchdowns after Tagovailoa sustained a season-ending hip injury. Most college football observers expected Jones to beat you Young, a freshman, but Nick Saban did not officially announce a starting quarterback until the Thursday before Alabama’s season-opener on Saturday (September 26).
Year one as Sarkisian’s starter: Jones completed 311 of 402 passes for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns, and four interceptions
2021 – Thompson and Card
Sarkisian began the season with Card before benching his starting quarterback after a loss against Arkansas. Thompson emerged as Sarkisian’s starter and started off strong before a thumb injury limited his productivity.
According to Thompson’s bio, “Thompson started the final 10 games of the year. He was 165-of-261 (63.2 percent) through the air for 2,113 yards and 24 touchdowns. Thompson was a member of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award preseason watch list and was the Big 12 and national player of the week after completing 18-of-23 passes for 303 yards and five touchdowns with six total touchdowns against Texas Tech. Two weeks later against No. 6 Oklahoma, he threw for 388 yards and five touchdowns. Thompson then tied the school record with six touchdown passes and seven total touchdowns against Kansas, when he completed 30-of-43 passes for 358 yards.”
Year one as Sarkisian’s starter: 5-7
Sarkisian finished 5-7 twice with a first-year quarterback. It goes without saying that finishing 5-7 in 2022 is unacceptable. Sarkisian's 7-6 season in 2011 at least indicate progress if Texas finishes with an identical record in 2022.
There are going to be highs and lows with a young quarterback. It is Sarkisian's job to make sure Ewers develops into a quarterback that enjoys more good times than bad. Ewers is Sarkisian's most important project. If Ewers is successful at Texas, Sarkisian will be successful. If Sarkisian fails to develop Ewers or put him in a position to be successful, it would be a massive disappointment. This is when Sarkisian becomes the quarterback whisperer. If necessary, Sarkisian needs to become the quarterback yeller. He must do whatever it takes to help Ewers reach his potential.
Ewers is Sarkisian's starting quarterback.
Ewers is your starting quarterback.
It is time to grow with him.
Funniest Things You Will See This Week
This is for all the parents (or anyone who wants to smile)
If you have ever traveled with your parents, this will resonate
It’s rare to see a new scene from The Office but here you go
This is an oldie but goodie from the TV show Wife Swap
For the dog lovers (no sound)
Sports On A Dime
(Quotes were before Saturday's scrimmage)
1. Sarkisian on the growth of freshmen offensive linemen Kelvin Banks Jr. and Devon Campbell: “I think that with Banks, he's a very mature young man. He was very steady and consistent in his style of play but his demeanor I think helps him at left tackle. He's very calm but yet he has a physical nature about him and he finishes people. Campbell, physically gifted, long arms, will strike you, tough. It's all the consistency in his game that we're working on right now, the fundamentals and techniques, all those types of things. I think it's helped him. He's got Jake [Majors] on one side, Christian [Jones] on the other. Two experienced players is helpful for him at guard. A guy who's been impressive has been Cam Williams, a guy who's just kind of shown up. I think when we get Cole Hutson back, he'll definitely be a guy that will be in that mix. Those are probably the first four that come to mind for me and that's not to take any away from Connor Robertson is getting a lot of reps, Malik Agbo is getting a lot of reps so a lot of guys repping through it. But those three-four guys to me stand out.”
2. Sarkisian on how he will use his receivers this season: “We try to teach our guys conceptually. We don't try to pin them down and pigeonhole them into one thing. We really try to teach big picture which for a younger player can feel different because a lot of times in high school they played this position or that position and we try to teach big picture. I think our older players do a nice job of mentoring our younger players. That was something that I think we all can say Xavier did an unbelievable job of a year ago. We played him all over the field. Jordan [Whittington] now with his health and how fresh he is his ability. That's one thing we try to pride ourselves on is that hopefully, you don't see the same picture from us play after play week after week. We're constantly trying to change the picture, even when sometimes it's the same formation, but different people are in different spots. That's one thing we try to pride ourselves on and our players pride ourselves on is really understanding schematically what we try to do and why we try to do it. And to do that they have to take pride in knowing and then executing those calls regardless of where they're aligned or who’s in motion or whatever that may look like.”
3. Sarkisian’s response when asked to name the least concerning areas on this year’s team: “I think the running back position I feel very strongly about. I feel strongly about the tight end position. I feel strongly about - definitely - our interior defensive line. I feel very good about that. I feel a lot better about our nickel position, our star position, Jahdae [Barron], and then the emergence of [Jaylan] Guilbeau. I think I've got a much better grasp of our inside linebacker play now with the addition of [Diamonte] Tucker [Dorsey] and what [DeMarvion] OverShown and [Jaylan] Ford (provide) and Jett Bush, his emergence, that has become a strong position group for us. Naturally because of a couple of injuries and we're a little nicked up and we've had a couple of guys sick, we're a little thin at wideout right now than I would like to be. But that doesn't mean we won't be. We just are a little nicked up and guys are under the weather. That's just the way it goes. And then finding that right combination up front of what that's going to look like on the offensive line.”
4. Sarkisian on how many tackling days his team had before Saturday’s scrimmage: “I think we've had upwards to three now. I think we've tackled better than we did a year ago. I would say that one, we're tackling better. Two, I think our pursuit and effort to the ball is better defensively so that when a missed tackle may occur, which it is football, they do happen, especially when you got good players on offense, that the next guys are there to get that player on the ground. One of the critiques from last week’s scrimmage was a couple of explosive plays that the offense made off of missed tackles. I get it. That might happen and we're working on those individuals to tackle better but I didn't love the effort from the other guys to make up for the missed tackles. But I think that our effort has drastically improved defensively. I think that our tackling has improved but when the missed tackles have occurred, sure feels like there's a lot more white hats around the ball.”
5. Sarkisian on the growth of Byron Murphy II and Vernon Broughton: “Byron's had a great camp. Vernon started off really hot, and then I don't want to say took a lull, He just kind of settled in, and then I've seen it again here, popped back up over the last couple of days. But I'd be remiss if I didn't mention [Keondre] Coburn and [T’Vondre] Sweat. I think that they've really come on in the last week as well. We'll get Alfred [Collins] back here sooner rather than later and that's a solid group of guys in there that you can really rotate through.”
6. This is the only NIL deal that has made me want to try a product
7. This makes sense
8. Former Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger continues to impress during the preseason.
9. This might be the wildest football you have ever seen. I watched it five times and still cannot determine if this was a genius design or the luckiest play ever.
10. This is for the old-school basketball fans
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