Steve Sarkisian insisted that there’s still no quarterback controversy in Texas.
Texas briefly benched Quinn Ewers for Arch Manning during the second quarter of Saturday night’s game against Georgia. However, Ewers returned to start the second half and finished the 30-15 loss. After the game, Sarkisian made it clear he’s not considering a permanent quarterback change.
“Quinn’s our starting quarterback,” Sarkisian said, per ESPN’s Dave Wilson. “I appreciate the fact that we’re fortunate enough to have a backup like Arch that can come into the game and provide a spark in some sense, but at the end of the day, Quinn’s our starter.”
Ewers had already fumbled and thrown an interception before getting pulled for Manning with a 20-0 deficit. The sophomore didn’t fare much better, completing three of six passes for 19 yards and a lost fumble on two possessions.
Inserted back in the game, Ewers put Texas on the board with two touchdown passes during the third quarter. Yet the Bulldogs left Austin with a double-digit road triumph despite Carson Beck throwing three interceptions.
Ewers completed 25 of 43 passes for 211 yards. The junior added another second-half fumble to the game’s crooked turnover tally.
Both quarterbacks faced considerable pressure from a Georgia defense that recorded seven sacks, so Sarkisian wouldn’t put all the blame on Ewers.
“Quinn’s our starter, but I think we’ve got to do a better job around him,” Sarkisian said. “I think he would tell you he can play better, but we’ve got to coach better. Everybody’s got to be better for our offensive football team to perform better.”
Ewers will lead the Longhorns into Nashville for a Week 9 clash against Vanderbilt.
Related: Texas QB Quinn Ewers Benched, Arch Manning Replaces Him After Rough Start vs. Georgia