Steve Sarkisian details why Saturday was a critical win in the development of Quinn Ewers

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian put his trust in quarterback Quinn Ewers with the game on the line Saturday against Iowa State. Trailing 21-17 with just under five minutes remaining and facing fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line, the Longhorns took their shot at the end zone with Ewers.

That choice paid off in a big way, as he completed a pass to Xavier Worthy for a touchdown that ended up being the game winner. It was a huge moment for Ewers, who has thrown for seven touchdowns to just one interception over the past two games since returning from a shoulder sprain.

In his Monday press conference, Sarkisian heaped praise on the freshman quarterback for the poise he displayed under pressure.

“Obviously for Quinn, any time you have a fourth-and-3 with the game on the line where you’ve got to score, just to have the composure to throw that pass,” Sarkisian said. “Xavier ran a tremendous route, but we’ve all seen quarterbacks airmail that ball or throw it in the dirt. It was just very calm and composed for him, so I think there was a lot to gain for him in that aspect.”

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Ewers scored all three of Texas’ touchdowns in the win, finishing 17-of-26 passing for 172 yards and no interceptions. But while he may have delivered the biggest moment of the game, he wasn’t the only Longhorn to come up with a clutch play down the stretch.

After Ewers’ touchdown pass, the Cyclones took over with a chance to answer. They drove all the way down to the Texas 32-yard line before Anthony Cook forced a fumble that was recovered by Jaylan Ford. From there, the Longhorns offense ran out the clock to secure the win.

The heroics from Quinn Ewers and the defense were evidence of just how far has come in since Steve Sarkisian’s inaugural season, and the coach made sure to mention that.

“A year ago, I don’t know if we win that game,” he said. “I don’t know if we were mature enough as a team, if we had the culture to persevere to have the poise and composure in the face of adversity like we had it. I thought our guys, sure, there was a level of frustration that the game didn’t go the way we wanted it to go, but in the end we had to make plays in critical moments. We were not perfect, but we made some critical plays.”

After suffering a loss to Texas Tech to open Big 12 play, the Longhorns are on a three-game winning streak and sit at third place in the conference. They’ll look to continue to show off their growth when they take on Oklahoma State at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday in Stillwater.