Quinn Ewers explains how 2023 road win at Alabama prepared Texas for joining SEC in 2024

Texas is already entering the SEC on a high note after going 12-2 last season with their best record in a decade and a half. However, with one of those dozen being a victory in Tuscaloosa, the Longhorns are now very confident about making their transition into their new league.

Quinn Ewers remembered that 34-24 win for No. 11 Texas against No. 3 Alabama during an interview on ‘Andy Staples On3’ on Thursday. He noted the importance of them going into a conference venue like Bryant-Denny Stadium and coming out on top. That’ll especially be so if they continue to do exactly that this season within the Southeastern Conference.

“Yeah, I think that’s huge for us. You know, we’ve gone into Alabama’s stadium and we did well,” recalled Ewers while at SEC Media Days. “We’ve just got be consistent in that aspect of things.”

Ewers and Texas’ passing game led the way in that 10-point win over ‘Bama in 2023. He went 24/38 (63.2%) for 349 yards and three touchdowns. That led to big outings with AD Mitchell, JT Sanders, Xavier Worthy, and Jordan Whittington all playing well. They also picked off two passes from Jalen Milroe with the Tide picking up 10 penalties as well.

All that came together to lead to the final regular-season loss in the career of Nick Saban.

However, with all that said, it was how Texas went on from there that was maybe actually more important. The Longhorns didn’t let that win get to them as they still went out the next weekend and won another. After all that, they entered the postseason at 11-1.

The win over Alabama set them up but, as Ewers put it, he was more encouraged to see them follow through on it the following game and in the remaining games to come.

“I was excited for that Alabama win, for sure. But coming back home and beating Wyoming was, I think, just as big because I think that just goes to show how mature we are and we knew how to handle the success of winning those types of big games,” said Ewers.

Now, in 2024, Texas already has a recent over a significant opponent in their new conference as they enter it this fall. That will only provide more energy for them as they enter the league with a lot of belief behind them.

“I mean I think they do a good job,” said Ewers about the SEC. “They’ve got a saying of it just means more. So I’m excited to get the full understanding of that, to go everywhere, and experience all those games.”