Ewers started the second half for the Longhorns and finished the game after sitting out for two series at the end of the first half.
AUSTIN, Texas — All of a sudden, the No. 1 Texas Longhorns have a potential quarterback controversy in the wake of a disastrous first half against the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, trailing 23-0 at halftime thanks to three turnovers and just 38 total yards.
Texas redshirt junior quarterback Quinn Ewers, starting his second straight game after returning from an oblique strain that caused him to miss two starts, struggled once again to start the game, going 6-of-12 passing for 17 yards with an interception and a fumble on a cornerback blitz.
“I was trying to settle down Quinn a little bit, give us a little bit of a spark,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian told ABC at halftime.
In Sarkisian’s post-game press conference, he provided more explanation for the decision.
“I felt Quinn was a little uneasy, and I just felt like giving him a chance to kind of step back, regroup. I didn’t know if we get a series or two with Arch [Manning], depending on how much time was remaining in the half on the clock. So we just told Quinn, ‘Hey, we’re gonna go with Arch here, Give you a chance to get into the locker room. Let’s regroup and then come back out in the second half.’”
So redshirt freshman Arch Manning entered the game with 4:43 remaining in the second quarter with the Longhorns down 20-0 after a third three and out led to a field goal by the Bulldogs. Quickly under pressure, Manning had to throw the ball away on his first snap as Georgia continued to whip the experienced Texas offensive line.
Manning’s athleticism did make a difference on a 21-yard scramble on his second drive, but he missed an open receiver to end his first drive and then fumbled late in the half after taking his second straight sack, leading to a Georgia field goal and the final deficit.
Manning finished the half 3-of-6 passing for 19 yards and Ewers was back on the field at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium to start the second half and playing the rest of the game.
“At the end of the day, Quinn’s our starter. I think we’ve got to do a better job around him. I think he would tell you he could play better, but we’ve got to coach better, everybody’s got to be better for our offensive football team to perform better,” Sarkisian said.