Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers showed why Arch Manning hasn’t replaced him in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Arizona State on New Year’s Day.
Throughout the season, many have suggested the Longhorns would be better off with Manning. Ewers may have quieted some of those critics when he delivered in a 39-31 Peach Bowl victory.
With Texas trailing 31-24 in overtime, the junior launched a 28-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Matthew Golden on 4th-and-13.
Per The Athletic’s Chase Daniel, a former NFL QB, Ewers checked into a post route on his TD pass to Golden, putting him in a position to beat Arizona State’s defense.
On Texas’ first play in the second overtime, Ewers threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end Gunnar Helm. He also connected with Golden on a two-point conversion.
Of course, Ewers wasn’t perfect. He threw an interception to Arizona State defensive back Javan Robinson with 5:37 left in the fourth quarter, and only ran for one yard on six carries.
However, Ewers’ poise is one key reason the Longhorns avoided a collapse. Texas squandered a 16-point, fourth-quarter lead, and Longhorns kicker Bert Auburn missed a game-winning 38-yard field-goal attempt.
“If I can be the model of composure and Quinn can be the model of composure and poise that permeates throughout our team,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said in his postgame interview with ESPN (h/t On3’s Griffin McVeigh).
Manning has shown flashes when he plays. In two seasons with the Longhorns, the redshirt freshman has 13 touchdowns (nine passing and four rushing) in 11 games.
While Manning likely has a bright future, the inexperienced QB may not have thrived under pressure as Ewers did.
In his first two CFP games, Ewers completed 68.5% of his passes for 524 yards and four TDs. If he keeps playing at a high level, he could help the Longhorns win their first national title in 19 years. They will face either Ohio State or Oregon in the CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10.
