Quinn Ewers on playing Georgia after Red River Rivalry win: 'Have 12 hours or so and then it's on to the next'

After shaking off a slow start, Texas is bringing the Golden Hat home. The Longhorns defeated Oklahoma 34-3 in the Red River Rivalry on Saturday, and Georgia awaits next week.

But to Quinn Ewers, it’s not quite time to think about the Bulldogs. He wants to enjoy the victory over Oklahoma before looking ahead.

ABC’s Holly Rowe asked Ewers about facing Georgia next week following Texas’ sixth straight victory to start the season. He said the Longhorns plan to enjoy Saturday’s win for about 12 hours before getting ready for their next opponent.

“We’re going to enjoy this one on the ride back,” Ewers said. “Have 12 hours or so and then it’s on to the next. Where we want to be at the end of the season, we’re going to have to continue and continue to get better. That’s what championship teams do. So, we’re going to enjoy this one for the next 12 hours or so.”

Quinn Ewers had a strong day to lead the charge for Texas. He completed 20 of 29 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown in his first game back from injury. He suffered an abdominal injury against UTSA and hadn’t played since.

Saturday, he brought the Golden Hat back to Austin. He also drew some high praise form his head coach as Sarkisian looked back on the last month since Ewers last stepped onto the field.

“When you wait that long to play, about a month off, there’s a little bit of rust,” Sarkisian said. “But I thought settled in and made some really competitive plays, especially on the third down.”

Texas ended Oklahoma’s four-game win streak in the Red River Rivalry in 2022, but the Sooners got back on the winning side last year in thrilling fashion. The Longhorns responded with their second rivalry win over OU in three years with Ewers at quarterback, and he reflected on what it meant after Sarkisian handed him the Golden Hat.

“It feels good to finally have it back,” Ewers said. “Couldn’t be more proud of the guys and all the hard work we put in. It’s good to finally get back out on the field with my guys. I missed two games. I didn’t play the way I fully wanted to but I think, overall, the way that we play football — that’s what gives us chances to win games, the complimentary football we do play as a whole.”