Ahead of the SEC Championship against the Georgia Bulldogs, Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian reflected on the schools’ earlier meeting during the season. As Texas looks to avenge their loss, the Horns’ coach reflected on what the defeat showed him on his quarterback Quinn Ewers.
When the programs from Austin and Athens last met on October 19, the Longhorns‘ offense was exposed by a sensational defensive outing by the Dawgs. Sarkisian sent backup Arch Manning into the huddle for a couple of plays as Ewers struggled, however, he suffered the same fate as the QB1.
It was a rude awakening for the Longhorns. Georgia walked into their field and blew them out of the water, handing them their lone loss on the NCAA season. On Saturday, Georgia will vye to take down Texas once again. However, Sarkisian and the Longhorns are not the same team they were in October.
You cannot step into the same river twice, for the waters are ever flowing. Heraclitus’ saying applies to any matchup in college football, and in sports. Georgia and Texas’ matchup earlier on the year will have no bearing once the action kicks off at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 7. However, that game has taught Sarkisian a very important lesson on his team, and leader Quinn Ewers.
“I found out we do have good leadership,” Sarkisian said on the lesson learnt after the loss to Georgia. “We talk quite a bit about being a steady sea. Although a lot of things around us may be rocky and whatnot, our minds, our hearts, our souls, are a steady sea. And I think Quinn is the epitome of that.”
Ewers speaks on facing adversity
It hasn’t been an easy senior-year season for Ewers in Austin. Coming into the year, the Longhorns quarterback was considered among the favorites to the Heisman Trophy. The hype surrounding Ewers was so big he was a cover athlete in EA Sports College Football 25 video game.
However, injuries struck the 21-year-old and had him miss some time. Upon his return, it took the quarterback a minute to find his rhythym again. He recovered and led his team to the SEC Title game, nevertheless.
Following the crucial Lone Star Showdown victory over Texas A&M, Ewers made a bold statement on how he handled the recent adversity.
“Been in situations where adversity has struck many times,” Ewers said, per InsideTexas. “I guess it’s kind of like a blessing in disguise because with it happening before, we know how to react to it and I know how to react to it.“
On December 7, Ewers will have a date with destiny as he takes on the same Bulldogs’ defense that exposed him and his team earlier on the campaign. This time, it’s for all the marbles.