Texas not planning to play 2 QBs as Quinn Ewers eyes return |

Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian watches his team warm up ahead of the Texas Longhorns’ game against the ULM Warhawks at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Sept. 21, 2024.

With Quinn Ewers on pace to return from his abdominal injury in the Longhorns' next game, don't expect to see Arch Manning on the field, despite the backup's 2-0 record in Ewers' absence, according to Texas coach Steve Sarkisian.

"When I was a starter, I never wanted the backup coming in the game, even for a play," Sarkisian told reporters Wednesday on an SEC teleconference call.

"And I remember my senior year of college, I had been banged up and coaches wanted to run a quarterback draw. And they called the play and I scored a touchdown. So I've got respect for a guy that's a starting quarterback and the rhythm that is needed to play with, so no that's not something I've ever entertained."

Manning went 26-of-31 passing (83.9 percent) for 324 yards in a 35-13 win over Mississippi State on Saturday, a week after a 51-3 home blowout over Louisiana-Monroe in the first start of his college career.

After suffering an abdominal strain that knocked him out of a 56-7 win over UTSA on Sept. 14, Ewers is reportedly on target to return on Oct. 12 when the No. 2 Longhorns (5-0, 1-0 SEC) face archrival Oklahoma for the first time in the Southeastern Conference.

Ewers reportedly practiced with the first team Tuesday, with the Longhorns on a bye before their big SEC showdown in Norman with the No. 19 Sooners.

"He's just rehabbing as he has been. I think he's been making steady progress one day to the next, which is a good sign," Sarkisian told reporters Tuesday. "We haven't had any setbacks. It's been steady progress. I think he's getting stronger and more comfortable and more confident, and so we'll just kind of stay the course with that."

Sarkisian had already made clear his desire to have Ewers back at the starting position as soon as possible, saying after Saturday's win over the Bulldogs, "We need Quinn back because he's our quarterback, and he's our leader."

--Field Level Media

Field Level Media

Send me a news tip

Aaron Moody is a sports and general reporter for the News & Observer. Here is a second sentence for the bio because it will probably be longer than this. Maybe even longer I don't know. Support my work with a digital subscription

This story was originally published October 2, 2024 at 4:08 PM