The eyes of Texas are upon star quarterback Quinn Ewers as he battles through a high-ankle sprain ahead of the No. 3 Longhorns’ pivotal matchup against No. 20 Texas A&M. Sources close to the program revealed that despite the injury, Ewers is expected to take the field on Saturday night, though admittedly not at 100%.
Ewers, who has thrown for an impressive 2,089 yards and 23 touchdowns this season, suffered the ankle sprain in last week’s home victory over Kentucky. The injury visibly limited his mobility, forcing the Longhorns to rely heavily on the run game in the second half.
Manning Waiting in the Wings
With Ewers’ anticipated limitations, all eyes are turning to highly-touted freshman Arch Manning. The nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning, Arch has seen an increase in practice reps this week and could be called upon for specific packages to exploit Texas A&M’s struggles against mobile quarterbacks.
“Manning brings an element of dynamism in the run game, and Ewers’ ability to execute designed runs likely is going to be curtailed because of the injury,” a source close to the program divulged.
Ewers’ Gutsy Performance
Despite the injury, Ewers has shown incredible toughness and dedication throughout the week, undergoing intensive rehab to give himself the best chance to compete in this de facto Big 12 championship game. His 68% completion rate and 23:6 TD:INT ratio have been instrumental in Texas’ resurgence this season.
Exploiting Aggie Weaknesses
Texas A&M’s defense has been susceptible to dual-threat quarterbacks this year, surrendering 106 yards and a touchdown to South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers in a 44-20 loss, and 63 yards to Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard in a season-opening defeat. This vulnerability could open the door for Manning to make an impact if Ewers is unable to fully leverage his mobility.
Renewing a Bitter Rivalry
The stakes couldn’t be higher as these two bitter rivals face off for the first time since Texas’ controversial move to the SEC. With a berth in the conference championship game on the line, both teams will be leaving it all on the field at Kyle Field.
As kickoff approaches, the college football world will be watching with bated breath to see if Quinn Ewers can overcome this latest obstacle and lead his team to glory, or if Arch Manning will seize the opportunity to etch his name into the annals of this storied rivalry. One thing is certain: the eyes of Texas, and the entire nation, will be fixated on College Station come Saturday night.
