Texas football head coach Steve Sarkisian expects quarterback Quinn Ewers to return to start for the Longhorns against the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday. Ewers practiced three times a week ago and was back at practice on Monday.
Ewers has missed each of the Longhorns’ last two games because of an oblique injury. Texas is coming off a bye, giving Ewers an extra week to potentially come back before Saturday’s rivalry game.
“I thought he looked good coming off the bye,” Sarkisian said, via Dave Wilson of ESPN. “I think if anybody benefited from the time off, it was probably him. We’re going to monitor him daily just to kind of see how he continues to progress, but I feel good about how he was [Monday].
“I feel good about him going into Saturday, but that remains to be seen.”
Ewers last played for the Longhorns on Sept. 14 against UTSA. Ewers injured his oblique in the first half of the game and was replaced by Arch Manning. Manning has filled in for Ewers since his injury but is expected to return to the backup role with Ewers likely back.
Quinn Ewers #3 of the Texas Longhorns watches players warm up before the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 28, 2024 in Austin, Texas.
Tim Warner/Getty Images
When Manning came in for Ewers, he completed nine of his 12 pass attempts for 223 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for a 67-yard touchdown, leading the Longhorns to a 56-7 victory over UTSA.
Over his next two starts, Manning completed 68.3 percent of his passes for 583 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions. He has led Texas to two more victories, including a 51-3 win over Louisiana-Monroe and a 35-13 win over Mississippi State before their bye.
When healthy this season, Ewers has completed 73.4 percent of his passes for 691 yards, eight touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Ewers is now expected to return for the Longhorns’ biggest game of the season so far against Oklahoma. While Texas heads into the game ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll after Alabama’s shocking loss to Vanderbilt, they were previously upset by Oklahoma at home last season.
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The Sooners have also used multiple quarterbacks this season, but not because of injury. Oklahoma, who is coming off a bye as well, will start Michael Hawkins Jr. again after benching Jackson Arnold. Arnold was benched after completing just 43.8 percent of his passes for just 54 yards and an interception in a loss to Tennessee on Sept. 21.
Hawkins started for the Sooners before their bye on Sept. 28, going 10 of 15 for 161 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions in a win over Auburn.
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