Quinn Ewers wasn’t fazed. Not even for a moment.
Leading No. 3 Texas into Michigan Stadium for a top-10 showdown, the Longhorns quarterback didn’t skip a beat. He didn’t need time to settle in, and he didn’t falter under pressure. Instead, he embraced the high-stakes environment and even used it to his advantage.
“I enjoy big moments,” Ewers said postgame. “I think what helps me out is I’m not trying to please anybody. I’m not trying to please people who breathe one breath at a time. I’m just trying to please Jesus. He controls all breaths. And when you truly believe that, when you truly know that, I think I allow myself to fully play clear-minded.”
Refocusing through faith, Ewers wasn’t affected by Saturday’s pregame stipulations or raucous crowd. He just played his game, and his game spoke for itself.
Ewers completed 24-of-36 passes for 246 total yards and three touchdowns, paving the way for Texas’ 19-point drubbing of the 10th-ranked Wolverines. His centered outlook was a significant factor in his composure throughout the day, as was his ability to draw upon prior experiences.
Before transferring to join the Longhorns in 2022, Ewers spent his first college football season at Ohio State. He redshirted that year, sitting behind former Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud. Though he never saw the field, he did experience the Big House from the bench when Ohio State played at Michigan in 2021.
“It’s definitely a little different when I was just sitting on the sidelines,” Ewers said. “But for sure, I understand how big of a moment it was, just because I’ve been here before and I know what the atmosphere was like. It got pretty loud in that first quarter, that’s for sure.”
Despite being in a reserve role, Ewers’ freshman season with the Buckeyes exposed him to the road environment in Ann Arbor. And even though he didn’t play in that rivalry, his next two seasons at Texas gave him plenty of experience starting in other big games.
Almost exactly a year ago, Ewers led the 11th-ranked Longhorns into Tuscaloosa to take on No. 3 Alabama. With a similar but perhaps even more impressive outing, Ewers completed 24-of-38 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns. He propelled Texas to a historic victory over the Crimson Tide and earned a slew of honors for his performance.
So Ewers is no stranger to Michigan Stadium, nor to taking every snap under center on a big stage. But experience can only take you so far.
On Saturday, Ewers executed at the highest level. When he had time and space, he made the right reads and hit his receivers in stride. In the first quarter, after his first touchdown pass was called back for holding, Ewers stepped up in the pocket and threw a dart to Longhorns tight end Gunnar Helm for the first score of the day. Even when he was under pressure later in the game, he threw the ball away at the right times and kept his composure.
That type of quarterback play doesn’t just show up for 60 minutes on game days. It also shapes the Longhorns’ mentality and confidence as a team.
“The quarterback is the most important position in sports,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “Because, yes, I think it’s physically the most challenging. … But I also think it’s the most important position in sports because a quarterback instills confidence and belief into a team, into an organization.
“ … A lot of people in the organization will say to themselves, ‘We got a chance today, because number three is playing. And (if) he’s playing good, now we know we got a real chance.’ ”
Without question, Ewers played good on Saturday in Ann Arbor — giving the Longhorns a chance that they took and ran with. Because the moment wasn’t too big for the seasoned quarterback, and he proved it.
The post Embracing the big moment, Quinn Ewers leads Texas to dominant victory appeared first on The Michigan Daily.
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