Texas and Oklahoma enter rivalry week with QB questions

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Two rivals, two quarterback harm conundrums.

Texas and Oklahoma are getting ready for this weekend’s annual matchup in Dallas with huge questions at crucial place on the sector.

Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian at the very least has the luxurious of two strong choices. His choice on who begins revolves round Quinn Ewers, a big-armed freshman who’s getting more healthy by the day after lacking three video games with a clavicle harm, and Hudson Card, an skilled backup who’s steadily bettering every week.

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables, in the meantime, has to arrange his offense for the likelihood that starter Dillon Gabriel received’t play after taking a tough blow to the top that knocked him out of final week’s blowout loss to TCU.

Oklahoma (3-2, 0-2 Large 12) acknowledged after the sport that Gabriel was within the crew’s concussion protocol, however the Sooners provided no updates Monday on his situation. Pitt switch Davis Beville got here on for Gabriel after the harm and will get the beginning.

Texas (3-2, 1-1) followers are wanting to see Ewers return to the sector. His slingshot proper arm and lengthy, golden mullet coiffure has been little greater than a Texas tease up to now. The five-star highschool recruit from the Dallas space transferred from Ohio State and received the job over Card, who began the primary two video games in 2021.h

Ewers received his debut over Louisiana-Monroe and was flinging the ball everywhere in the area within the first quarter within the second recreation in opposition to No. 1 Alabama. However Ewers was injured late within the first quarter when a tackler drove him onerous into the turf.

Sarkisian has refused to supply a lot in the way in which of updates on Ewers, however the freshman dressed for final week’s 38-20 win over West Virginia. With Ewers watching and accessible to play, Card had a profession night time with 303 yards passing and three touchdowns.

And whereas most anticipate Ewers to return to the sector within the Cotton Bowl in opposition to Oklahoma. Sarkisian nonetheless wouldn’t say that Monday.

“My philosophy is fairly easy: Play the man that I feel provides us one of the best probability to achieve success, whether or not he’s the starter, the backup, the recent hand or not,” Sarkisian stated.

The Texas-Oklahoma rivalry within the Cotton Bowl, with its 50-50 cut up of Longhorns and Sooners followers and wild momentum swings, could be onerous on younger quarterbacks, and even any participant who hasn’t skilled it. The bus experience via the huge crowds on the Texas state truthful, and the run via the stadium tunnel into the pandemonium contained in the partitions, can shake the knees of first-timers.

Texas working again Bijan Robinson thinks Ewers can deal with it. Ewers didn’t appear overwhelmed by the ambiance of a file crowd of 105,213 when Texas performed Alabama, which escaped Austin with a 20-19 win on a area aim within the closing minute.

“That’s an enormous ambiance (in Dallas) to be part of, however he performed within the Alabama recreation.,” Robinson stated. “That was an enormous ambiance. I’d suppose this recreation wouldn’t be a complete lot totally different for him.”

Beville had tried simply two passes in a Sooners uniform earlier than Gabriel bought damage. He was 7 of 16 passing for 50 yards within the 55-24 loss to TCU.

Texas at the very least has two quarterbacks who grew up within the state and are acquainted with the passions that encompass the sport. Beville could not know what’s coming in Dallas.

“In the end, it’s gonna fall on myself to ensure whoever’s out there may be put in positions of success,” Sooners offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby stated Monday. “Create layups for guys and…shoot, once more, create a state of affairs the place we all know what the result goes to be earlier than we name the play.”