NCAA icon claims Steve Sarkisian has made a huge mistake with Longhorns' Quinn Ewers, Arch Manning

The Texas Longhorns hit their first bump on the road and emerged from it looking weakened. The Georgia Bulldogs came into town and exposed several ongoing issues with the Longhorns’ offense. One college football icon claimed that head coach Steve Sarkisian made a costly mistake by subbing out Quinn Ewers for freshman Arch Manning.

What goes up must come down. However, it does not always have to be in crashing fashion. Texas sure hopes that wasn’t the case for their undefeated college football season. The Horns (6-0, 2-1 SEC) suffered their first loss on the season against the Dawgs in what was an epic collapse by Sarkisian’s offense. Or a legendary uprising by Smart’s defense, it all depends on perspective.

The game quickly got out of hand for Texas, and Sarkisian’s desperate search for answers left no stone unturned. Quarterback Quinn Ewers was pulled before halftime to regroup, and Arch Manning stepped in. While Manning is the most hyped backup QB in the country, one Alabama icon believes Sarkisian made a critical error in giving him playing time.

“”So when your backup quarterback has rock star status, you just can’t make that move there,” Greg McElroy stated, via On3. “Now Pandora’s box has been opened, because Steve Sarkisian showed that he is not afraid to replace Quinn Ewers in favor of Arch Manning in the event in which Quinn Ewers struggles. So the only way you could have pulled the plug on yours is if Arch is going to be your guy moving forward.”

Arch Manning 16 of the Texas Longhorns in action vs the Mississippi State Bulldogs at DKR-Memorial Stadium. Texas defeats the Bulldogs 35-13.

“With who the backup is, and the celebrity status that he carries, I would have avoided that at all cost. That’s a problem because now, first series of the game, if Quinn Ewers starts a game one for three and they punt after a five-play drive stalls, you’re going to start hearing chants of Arch. You have to force your starting quarterback into feeling comfortable.”

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NCAAF News: Longhorns HC Steve Sarkisian makes something clear after fine for disturbances

Sarkisian denies Ewers being affected by injury

Quinn Ewers has not looked like his best self since returning to the field on the NCAA‘s Red River Shootout. Despite the Horns’ commanding win, the QB did not play at his top standard. Following another lackluster performance, this time in a critical loss to SEC rivals, many fans believed Ewers was being held down by a lingering injury. Sarkisian has shut down one narrative around Ewers’ struggles.

“I don’t think it’s impacting him at all,” Sarkisian stated, via burntorangenation. ”I really think he’s healthy and feels good about it. Is he 100 percent? I don’t know. Is anybody on our team 100 percent going into Week Eight? Probably not. Everybody’s got something right now.”