In a commanding 56-7 win over UTSA on Saturday, the Texas Longhorns showcased their offensive dominance, but the celebration was clouded by an injury to starting quarterback Quinn Ewers.
The Heisman favorite was forced to leave the game in the second quarter with an abdominal strain, raising concerns about his availability for the crucial weeks ahead.
Ewers, who had been excelling on the field, completed 14 of 16 passes for 185 yards, including two touchdowns and an interception, before the injury occurred.
His sudden exit shifted the spotlight from Texas’ rout to questions surrounding his health and its potential impact on the Longhorns’ season.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian spoke about the injury, offering some insight into the nature of the problem. “It’s an oblique strain, an abdomen strain,” Sarkisian confirmed. “It remains to be seen kind of the seriousness of that and the length of that… We don’t think it’s anything structural or broken, but it was an odd play.”
The injury is a worrying development for Ewers, who has dealt with significant setbacks each season since taking over as Texas’ starting quarterback.
Last year, he battled shoulder injuries in both his throwing and non-throwing arms.
Now, facing another injury, concerns about his durability are once again front and center, particularly with tough SEC matchups looming.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel provided an update that eased some of the initial fears.
“Sources: Quinn Ewers’ ab injury isn’t as serious as initially feared,” Thamel reported. “He’s likely to miss the Louisiana Monroe game this week but is ‘week-to-week’ after leaving the UTSA game.”
While the news suggests Ewers could avoid a lengthy absence, the uncertainty remains.
His week-to-week status leaves questions about when exactly he’ll return to the field, especially with games against Mississippi State, Oklahoma, and Georgia fast approaching.
In Ewers’ absence, Arch Manning took over and delivered a remarkable performance, completing 9 of 12 passes for 223 yards and four touchdowns. He also added an incredible 67-yard rushing touchdown.
This particular situation is very unique. While Ewers may be the top quarterback in the country, most Texas fans aren’t too concerned about having to play a game or two without him.
With Manning as your backup, who can blame them?
While it’s extremely unfair to the spectacular Ewers, the fact is there are some Longhorn fans who prefer Manning be their starting quarterback.
Again, that’s a harsh and unfair opinion to have. After all, Ewers has more than deserved the opportunity to try and lead Texas to the national title this season. As Sark alluded to, the starting job will be waiting for him whenever he does heals up
Having said that, there’s no denying how poised, confident and impressive Manning looked on Saturday…
“We’ll monitor him closely and hope for the best,” Sarkisian assured.
With SEC play right around the corner, the sooner Ewers gets back the better. Until then, Texas is in great hands with Manning.
What are your thoughts on Ewers’ injury?
Are you one of the people who think Texas is in better hands with Manning? … Or do you think Ewers is clearly a notch above Arch, at least at the current time?
In the bigger picture, is this the year the Longhorns win the national title???
