Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is “questionable” for Saturday’s game versus Louisiana-Monroe, coach Steve Sarkisian told reporters on Monday. It will be the Longhorns’ first game since taking over the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 on Sunday.
Ewers left the Longhorns’ Week 3 matchup with UTSA after suffering a “strained abdomen” in the second quarter, Sarkisian said after halftime. At the time, the junior QB had completed 14-of-16 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns.
Following a handoff, Ewers walked cautiously to the sideline and was taken to the medical tent. He appeared to be in some discomfort, pulling his jersey over his face. After being examined, he went to the locker room and soon returned to the sideline in street clothes.
Ewers didn’t sustain the injury on contact; he felt pain when he threw a 49-yard pass to tight end Gunnar Helm on a corner route. He stayed in for the next play, but then felt too uncomfortable to continue.
“On the release, he just feels it, you know?” Sarkisian explained, via The Athletic. “I think what he thought was, it was just going to kind of go away so he stayed in for one more play and then realized, ‘I probably need to get this looked at, this doesn’t feel right.'”
Backup Arch Manning took over for Ewers and threw a touchdown pass on his first play, hitting DeAndre Moore Jr. for a 19-yard score. It was one of five TDs Manning produced in the game, completing 9-of-12 passes for 223 yards and four passing touchdowns and one highlight-reel TD run while leading Texas to a 56–7 blowout victory.
Overall, Ewers’ injury wasn’t as serious as initially feared and Sarkisian said his status is “week-to-week.” If he’s unable to play on Saturday, it will be the third consecutive season in which Ewers has missed time. Last season, he was out for two games with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder. In 2022, Ewers missed three games with a sprained clavicle.
Sarkisian told reporters that freshman QB Trey Owens might receive more practice reps, depending on Ewers’ status. Owens appeared in last Saturday’s game with UTSA, completing 2-of-4 passes for 19 yards and rushing once for three yards. If Ewers is out, Owens will be the backup to Manning against ULM.