Quinn Ewers sets Big 12 Championship Game record for passing yards
Texas‘ day is going exactly as planned in the Big 12 Championship Game, with quarterback Quinn Ewers sharp early and helping lead the Longhorns to a large lead over the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
In fact, Ewers was playing so well he managed to set a Big 12 Championship Game record in a little over a half.
Ewers had tallied 452 passing yards by the early fourth quarter, eclipsing the previous record set by Sam Bradford at 384 passing yards in 2008.
“I think we’re giving him good protection and he’s seeing the field pretty well and guys are making plays for him down the field,” coach Steve Sarkisian said at halftime.
Ewers’ day appeared to be done in the fourth quarter, with Texas protecting a 49-14 lead at the time of this writing.
He suffered a brief injury scare when he went down on the sideline in the third quarter, but Sarkisian clarified that his quarterback was doing fine.
“He’s fine, he just got the wind knocked out of him,” Sarkisian said to Molly McGrath on the ABC broadcast. “He’s back in now.”
Steve Sarkisian reflects on Quinn Ewers’ growth
Speaking on last season’s showdown, Sarkisian explained where he’s seen his quarterback grow since that night against Oklahoma State.
“Games like that are part of the growing pains of playing the position. When you get on the road, and you get in a hostile environment, and early on things are going your way, and then things start not going your way for a variety of reasons,” Sarkisian said. “In that game, we had a couple of opportunities for some big plays and we didn’t pass protect very well for him.
“Then we had a couple opportunities for some big plays and we didn’t catch the ball very well for him. Then all of a sudden he misses a couple of throws and those types of things can snowball on you. I think the biggest thing that I’ve learned, and I think Quinn has learned that I’ve learned about him, is his demeanor.”
The good news is there’s a good chance Ewers could return to Texas in 2024. That’ll give Texas a great chance in the SEC next season.
On3’s Nick Kosko also contributed to this report.