"Quinn Ewers got exposed": CFB analyst pins the blame on Texas QB after Steve Sarkisian decides against using Arch Manning
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian let his struggling QB1 Quinn Ewers have a crack at the Georgia Bulldogs in the Southeastern Conference championship game on Saturday. Before the game, there was talk about dual-threat quarterback Arch Manning potentially getting the nod, but Texas stuck with Ewers.
The decision eventually backfired as the Longhorns suffered a 22-19 overtime defeat against the Bulldogs.
While reviewing Texas' defeat in the SEC title game on ESPN's SportsCenter episode on Monday, college football analyst Dan Mullen pinned the blame on Ewers and the Longhorns' offensive line.
"Their issue is the offensive line, and not only the quarterback play," Mullen said about the Longhorns. "Quinn Ewers got exposed a little bit. They gave up seven sacks against Georgia in Week 8 and six sacks yesterday and 15 tackles for loss." (11:15)
Mullen added that Ewers' casual game style hurt Texas.
"Ewers makes some great plays," Mullen said. "But when he doesn't have time, he makes some casual, ill-advised throws. You saw those yesterday."
Ewers finished the game with 27 of 46 pass completions for 358 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He also had negative yardage (-27 yards) on six carries. Georgia saw Ewers' threat to claim its 15th SEC title.
Sarkisian has to decide whether to give Manning a run in the College Football Playoff amid Ewers' struggles.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian could favor Arch Manning over Quinn Ewers in College Football Playoff
Texas' SEC title defeat saw the team miss out on a first-round bye for the College Football Playoff. The Longhorns are still in the 12-team mix for the national title, but Steve Sarkisian could favor Arch Manning to start over Quinn Ewers in the playoffs.
Manning has been impressive when called upon. He has been responsible for 13 total touchdowns this season and filled in admirably when Ewers was injured in October. Moreover, Manning's running game has also caught the eye of many this season.
With a team capable of winning the national title, Sarkisian could make a bold decision in the playoffs. He might drop Ewers and start Manning, especially since the tournament now turns into an elimination round.