While the Texas Longhorns dominated the Clemson Tigers on the ground, piling up 292 rushing yards, head coach Steve Sarkisian believes Quinn Ewers‘ sneaky excellent performance is hidden in those numbers.
The Longhorns took down the ACC Champions, Tigers, by a score of 38-24 and have moved on to face the Arizona State Sun Devils. Texas will vye to take down another conference champion as they return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where they lost the SEC Championship to the Bulldogs.
Quinn Ewers has been under the scope throughout the whole NCAA season, he has been heavily scrutinized with many calling for backup Arch Manning to take his spot as Ewers struggled and dealt with an ankle injury. However, the Texas-born-and-bred quarterback battled and prevailed.
After the victory over Clemson, Sarkisian issued a special message on Ewers’ impact, which may have gone overlooked.
“I thought Quinn (Ewers) did a great job. On both Jaydon Blue‘s touchdown runs, those were audibles by Quinn to that run,” Steve Sarkisian said, via Inside Texas. “We really challenged them on the run game. From the opening meeting getting ready for the ballgame to the intent in which we practiced, I thought we had a good plan.”
Ewers sends message to the rest of the team
While a decision on his future is still pending, Ewers might be playing his final games in the burnt orange. If that’s the case, he hopes to leave college football with a bang. Last season ended in dismay for the Longhorns, who lost to the Washington Huskies in the CFP semifinal. This time around, Ewers hopes the team can exorcise their past’s ghosts.
“I think it motivates the entire team,” Ewers stated. “Us being so close last year, a couple plays away from going to the National Championship, and then who knows what happens. But you can’t live in that dream. We just try to go 1-0 each and every day, each and every week, and then see where that gets us.“
Klubnik’s statement
It could turn into a magical run for Ewers and the Longhorns, a grand redemption. Texas started their postseason path with a statement win against Clemson. The win provided closure for Ewers, as he defeated Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik who had prevailed over Ewers during the 2021 6A D2 State Championship.
Both talented QBs met again, back in Austin, and this time it was Ewers who got the last laugh. However, Klubnik issued a sincere admission, cherrishing the accolade he and Clemson accomplished.
“I hate losing, and I hate losing in the playoffs. But nobody picked us to be here in the beginning,” Klubnik commented, via On3. “Nobody believed in us. Nobody really wanted us here. But we believed in each other, and this group of guys that has fought together.”