All indicators level to Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers returning to face Oklahoma on Saturday within the annual Crimson River Rivalry recreation.
Ewers suffered an indirect damage in opposition to UT San Antonio on Sept. 14 and has missed the Longhorns’ final two video games in opposition to Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State. Ewers has been working towards since final week forward of Texas’ Week 6 bye.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian advised reporters at his Monday information convention that he feels “good” about Ewers’ possibilities to return for Saturday’s recreation.
“Quinn labored final week for our three practices,” Sarkisian advised reporters, per Lonestar Reside. “He practiced once more at the moment. I assumed he seemed good coming off the bye. I believe if anyone benefited from the time without work, it was most likely him.
“We’re going to observe him each day, simply to type of see how he continues to progress. However I be ok with how he was at the moment. I be ok with him going Saturday, however that is still to be seen.”
Arch Manning, a five-star prospectand the nephew of Tremendous Bowl-winning quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, has began in Ewers’ absence. He threw 4 touchdowns after changing Ewers in Texas’ 56-7 win over UTSA and led the Longhorns to a 51-3 win over Louisiana-Monroe and a 35-13 victory over Mississippi State.
Manning struggled, comparatively, with two interceptions whereas finishing 15 of 29 passes in opposition to Louisiana-Monroe, but it surely did not matter a lot within the Longhorns’ 48-point win. He is in any other case performed nicely in Ewers’ absence, finishing 70.5% of his passes for 11.6 yards per try with 9 touchdowns and two interceptions this season.
A 3rd-year starter for Texas, Ewers was a Heisman Trophy candidate previous to his damage, incomes second-team All Massive 12 honors in 2023. He accomplished 73.4% of his passes for 8.7 yards per try with eight touchdowns and two interceptions in two-plus video games previous to his damage.
Within the occasion that Ewers cannot go, Sarkisian expressed continued confidence in Manning in what could be the largest take a look at of his school profession.
“I’ve no hesitation with Arch going within the recreation,” Sarkisian stated. “I believe he’s confirmed to us over 2 1/2 video games of soccer that he’s actually performed in and competed in, that he can run our offense and he could be profitable.”
Texas (5-0) enters Saturday’s recreation having reclaimed the No. 1 spot within the AP ballot following Alabama’s beautiful loss to Vanderbilt on Saturday. Texas has now been ranked No. 1 in three of the seven AP polls this season.
Saturday would be the first time Texas and Oklahoma have performed their rivalry recreation for the reason that applications left the Massive 12 for the SEC. Oklahoma enters Saturday ranked 18th within the AP ballot following a 4-1 begin.
The Sooners changed sophomore beginning quarterback Jackson Arnold with extremely touted freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. throughout a Week 4 loss to Tennessee. Hawkins tallied 161 passing yards and 69 dashing yards with a dashing landing and no turnovers in final week’s 27-21 win over Auburn.
