Three years or thirty? It’s hard to say at times about Quinn Eers’ Texas career.
He had the opportunity to be the No. 1 recruit. 1 out of high school, Ewers picked up his Longhorn offer nearly six years ago. Since then, there’s been a commitment, a flip, a seven-figure NIL deal that sent him a year early to Columbus, a transfer back to Austin, a stacked mullet, a Big 12 title, injuries (a lot of injuries) , a QB debate – fair or not — and the redshirt freshman season has been everything but the NFL send-off that many expected it to be.
That buildup culminated in one minute in Atlanta against Arizona State: 4th-and-13 in overtime while down 31-24.
The ball, which if incomplete would have been the Eers’ Longhorn’s last play, bounced off his right hand before wide receiver Matthew Golden came out on his break, finding him on the edge of the field. a 28-yarder to tie the game. .
On the first play of the ensuing overtime, Ewers hit Gunnar Helm for a 25-yard touchdown. Then followed a two-point conversion for Gold and a legacy-defining victory, 39-31, for of Ewers, who helped the Longhorns return to the semifinals of the College Football Playoffs for the second consecutive season.
“Quinn’s a G, man,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said.
Ewers had an up-and-down performance against Arizona State. To say anything but would be dishonest.
He got off to a great start with two catches for 77 yards and a touchdown. He then went 7-for-14, with one stop over the next 46 minutes of regulation, a streak that saw ASU turn a 24-8 lead into the fourth quarter to be a 24-24 tie.
Standing in a bar in Austin, this writer overheard Ewers soliciting groans from fans after his defeat. More than one person during the game called for backup in the form of Arch Manning.
But when it came down to it — time directly on the line — Ewers was brought in.
Ewers finished the final five minutes of the game and overtime 11-for-14 with 160 yards and two touchdowns. He put Texas in field goal range for two game-winning drives in regulation, only for Bert Auburn to miss both attempts, and set up touchdown drives in overtime to give Texas the win.
A player who was criticized, underrated and, quite frankly, disliked by sections of the Texas fan base stepped up to the biggest stage possible and saved the Longhorns from what they were. will have an embarrassing victory to end the season that started with competitive expectations.
It doesn’t get more clutch than that.
Ewers came to Texas with the expectation that he would be a breakout talent at quarterback. He failed to meet that high charge. Yet Ewers is here still one of the greatest quarterbacks in program history. Vince Young, Colt McCoy or James Street, he is not. At least it hasn’t yet. But he is behind them for what he did for a proud program that he rescued from the desert of Alamo Bowls and losing seasons.
Texas did not win a conference championship between 2009 and 2022. Ewers helped snap that streak in 2023. He led Texas to two CFB Playoff appearances. He won games in Ann Arbor, College Station and Tuscaloosa. He is 2-1 against rival Oklahoma. He will have a chance to push Texas to the national championship game on Jan. 10 against Ohio State.
Ewers will probably never be as popular as Vince or Colt. His work certainly feels inadequate. We can’t blame him if he feels perpetually underappreciated by his fans.
But Ewers, during a week when many wanted to save his most famous money, cemented his legacy in the Peach Bowl on Wednesday. He’s the QB that helped Texas “come back” like Joe Tessitore’s early misfire. This time it’s real — Joe Tess is calling again, even — and Ewers is the reason.
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