Sarkisian says Ewers is showing “true character” by trying again

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Quinn Ewers found the rhythm his Texas coaches and teammates are used to in a hard-fought 27-24 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday night.

And he did so following one of Ewers' more memorable weeks at the Forty Acres. Not only was he benched in the first half of Texas' 30-15 home loss to Georgia, but a false report surfaced on social media that Ewers was opting out of the rest of the season and heading for the NFL draft would prepare.

“If he plays like that for the rest of the year, we’ll be fine. We'll be fine,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said of Ewers, who at one point completed 17 straight passes for 228 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

Both interceptions came on tip passes, the first leading to a Vanderbilt touchdown and giving the Commodores a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

But after that, Ewers led the Longhorns on three scoring drives, all of which ended in touchdown passes, the last two to DeAndre Moore Jr.

“It was normal for us. We had a really great week of practice, that’s what I expected,” Moore said.

The same was true for Sarkisian, who said Ewers' resilience was on display all season as he missed parts of three games with an oblique injury. The first half last week against Georgia was a disaster for everyone on the Texas sideline. After the Bulldogs took a 20-0 lead in the first half, Sarkisian replaced Ewers with Arch Manning, although Ewers returned in the second half.

“It can't get any worse than it was for (Ewers) last week, especially in the first half, and then his ability to recover and show the determination that he showed,” Sarkisian said. “I always say that a man's true character is shown in the face of adversity, and that was a lot of adversity for him, a lot of adversity for us as a team after last week's game.”

“I think the way he reacted was indicative of how we reacted as a team.”

Texas (7-1, 3-1) couldn't hold off No. 25 Vanderbilt until Moore caught an onside kick with 44 seconds left in the game. The Commodores entered the competition ranked high in the AP Poll for the first time since the end of the 2013 season.

“These weeks aren’t easy when you get as emotionally invested in a game as you did last week and then don’t play your best,” said Sarkisian, whose Longhorns won their ninth straight road game since the 2022 season. “It's hard. It's tough for coaches. It's hard for a team to recover and I think about how many times we've seen a team lose a game like (Georgia) and then get beaten again the next week because they stood still.” go through.

“I thought this game tonight was a culture win, a tough win for us. … We knew it would take 60 minutes against this type of team. That was a good football team. You weren’t 25th in the country in an accident.”

Although it was technically an away game for Texas, most of FirstBank Stadium was covered in burnt orange as Longhorns fans descended on Nashville for the teams' first meeting since 1928 and the first SEC away contest in Texas to come.

The start of the game wasn't what Ewers or anyone on the Texas team wanted. On the first possession of the game, Ewers had a pass that was hit by Vanderbilt linebacker Langston Patterson and intercepted by cornerback Martel Hight at the Texas 31. Five plays later, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia sprinted around right end and scored an 18-yard touchdown.

“There was no 'poor me,'” Ewers said. “We just kept playing.”

Sarkisian isn't sure Ewers would have reacted so calmly two years ago after such a shaky start.

“It's just a real honor for him, even after last week's game, where when doubt comes to mind, that's a killer,” Sarkisian said. “And I don’t think he had the slightest doubt. It was bad luck (with the hit pass). He made a great shot, the ball was tipped and intercepted. He came right back out and believed in it.” His preparation and the plan were really executed to a very high level.

“So I really want to recognize him and his maturity, his belief in himself, his confidence, and I want to recognize his teammates because I think those guys made sure all week to get him up to speed and get him ready to go make.”

Moore, who had six catches for 97 yards, said his first touchdown catch came when Ewers made a noise while Moore was in motion.

“I’m like, ‘Okay, it’s man (reporting). Let's get it. He called a slot fade and put it up there and allowed me to make a play,” Moore said, adding that this wasn't the first time Ewers has changed the play mid-move.

“Yes, he has the ability to do that, especially in this offense. Quinn is the president, so if he sees a look that he might not like, he can just change it to something else.”

Ewers admitted he was “itching” to play with his teammates again after last week’s loss at Georgia.

“I think the credit goes to everyone who didn't give in after a defeat we suffered. We came here and played our football, especially in the first half,” said Ewers.

The Longhorns hurt themselves with penalties in the second half, and a second batted interception led to the Commodores' second touchdown of the second half, making the game 24-17.

“We did a good job and just kept playing,” Ewers said.

He also shook off Monday's craziness when 247Sports said his Instagram account had been hacked with the fabricated report that Ewers was shutting him down for the rest of the season at Texas after the loss to Georgia.

“I mean, it was pretty random. I didn't really know where they got that from or if they were hacked or not. … It was definitely strange, and there’s not much more to say about it,” Ewers said.