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Quinn "La Joya" Ewers - The Man The Myth The Mullet


Coach pop a bitch

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I'll be curious to see how the playoff game(s) affect his decision.  Logic would say they "shouldn't", outside of terrific or terrible performances, but he's a lifetime UT fan.  If we fall just short, will he come back for another shot?  If we win it all, will he go pro, regardless of draft predictions?

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I'll be curious to see how the playoff game(s) affect his decision.  Logic would say they "shouldn't", outside of terrific or terrible performances, but he's a lifetime UT fan.  If we fall just short, will he come back for another shot?  If we win it all, will he go pro, regardless of draft predictions?

It’s beyond hard to imagine a scenario where we win it all and Quinn isn’t at the absolute center of our success. He can easily play his way up or down the draft boards based on the CFP.
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39 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I'll be curious to see how the playoff game(s) affect his decision.  Logic would say they "shouldn't", outside of terrific or terrible performances, but he's a lifetime UT fan.  If we fall just short, will he come back for another shot?  If we win it all, will he go pro, regardless of draft predictions?

If we win it all, and Quinn lights it up, he's gone. 

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So is Quinn one of the greatest players in school history yet? Dude lead us to our best season in over a decade, and has returned Texas to prominence. He demolished conference records and has been every bit as great as advertised.

Ask again after the playoffs are done.
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34 minutes ago, WelfareBuysMyWeed said:

So is Quinn one of the greatest players in school history yet? Dude lead us to our best season in over a decade, and has returned Texas to prominence. He demolished conference records and has been every bit as great as advertised.

He's up there imo , waiting to see final results to form.an opinion on where.  

 

He's definitely in a grouping of Simms, Colt , Major to me already. I was too young for much before that 

I think he's easily QB3 right now behind VY and Colt . I did love me some Ehlinger but this run is special 

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I mean, there are a lot of QBs who have played at Texas who haven't done what Quinn has done yet. We went through 13 years of conference championship-less QBs.

Just the premise of trying to label him as one of the greatest QBs in school history before the season is done feels deeply flawed. Based purely on accomplishments to date the answer is no. He has a 1-1 record vs OU and a conference title. We have plenty of QBs in school history that could meet that bar.

I don’t think he cracks top 5 today, but he has a path to crack the top 3 if he has a magical CFP run. His legacy at Texas will 100% be influenced by his performance next month, so I don’t understand the rush to judgement before those games are played.
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19 minutes ago, RichUT said:

He has a 1-1 record vs OU and a conference title. We have plenty of QBs in school history that could meet that bar.

In 130 seasons of playing football, Texas has won 33 conference titles. Factoring in that some players won multiple conference titles, there are about 20~30 QBs that pass this bar, and about 110~100 that do not. Being in the top fifth of all QBs who played at Texas should put him in the conversation of top tier players in Texas history. Not THE greatest, but definitely upper echelon player.

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2 minutes ago, MirrOlure said:

I feel like James Brown gets overlooked in these discussions, especially in the “big picture” context.

Last SWC and first Big XII Championships. Reminded us we could actually beat OU and A&M on multiple occasions ….brought a swagger that still resonates today as evidenced by the weekly “maybe we’ll beat them by xx points” posts on each betting line thread started every week.

Fact of the matter is that in the early 90’s Texas was very much the “uncool school” for DISD, HISD and Deep East Texas talent, which was either flooding out of state, or to A&M and OU. And yes, at that time, a Black starting QB at Texas was a big deal.

James Brown committed to Texas despite being one year behind the Annointed Savior Shea Morenz, seized the opportunity when it was presented, and never looked back. He made it cool to go to UT.

And he was a bad motherfucker. It was a different era offensively, but he posted numbers that stood up until Colt, Vince and even David Ash took down. He took down OU after 4 or more straight losses as a RS Freshman backup. He lead us to a win for the first time in forever at Kyle Field while playing on a sprained ankle.

The discussion of greatest post-DKR era UT quarterbacks absolutely must include James Brown.

Brass balls.  And he was responsible for the greatest 4th down play ever until someone upstaged him in ‘05.  

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26 minutes ago, MirrOlure said:

I feel like James Brown gets overlooked in these discussions, especially in the “big picture” context.

Last SWC and first Big XII Championships. Reminded us we could actually beat OU and A&M on multiple occasions ….brought a swagger that still resonates today as evidenced by the weekly “maybe we’ll beat them by xx points” posts on each betting line thread started every week.

Fact of the matter is that in the early 90’s Texas was very much the “uncool school” for DISD, HISD and Deep East Texas talent, which was either flooding out of state, or to A&M and OU. And yes, at that time, a Black starting QB at Texas was a big deal.

James Brown committed to Texas despite being one year behind the Annointed Savior Shea Morenz, seized the opportunity when it was presented, and never looked back. He made it cool to go to UT.

And he was a bad motherfucker. It was a different era offensively, but he posted numbers that stood up until Colt, Vince and even David Ash took down. He took down OU after 4 or more straight losses as a RS Freshman backup. He lead us to a win for the first time in forever at Kyle Field while playing on a sprained ankle.

The discussion of greatest post-DKR era UT quarterbacks absolutely must include James Brown.

Peter Gardere deserves a spot on the list too. Delivering when it matters most.

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36 minutes ago, MirrOlure said:

I feel like James Brown gets overlooked in these discussions, especially in the “big picture” context.

Last SWC and first Big XII Championships. Reminded us we could actually beat OU and A&M on multiple occasions ….brought a swagger that still resonates today as evidenced by the weekly “maybe we’ll beat them by xx points” posts on each betting line thread started every week.

Fact of the matter is that in the early 90’s Texas was very much the “uncool school” for DISD, HISD and Deep East Texas talent, which was either flooding out of state, or to A&M and OU. And yes, at that time, a Black starting QB at Texas was a big deal.

James Brown committed to Texas despite being one year behind the Annointed Savior Shea Morenz, seized the opportunity when it was presented, and never looked back. He made it cool to go to UT.

And he was a bad motherfucker. It was a different era offensively, but he posted numbers that stood up until Colt, Vince and even David Ash took down. He took down OU after 4 or more straight losses as a RS Freshman backup. He lead us to a win for the first time in forever at Kyle Field while playing on a sprained ankle.

The discussion of greatest post-DKR era UT quarterbacks absolutely must include James Brown.

Donnie Little, subject to check, was our first black QB playing most of the season in '79 and some of '80.  We were top 5-8 most of '79.  Granted QB at Texas in that era meant run, run, run, then maybe pass.  Beat OU twice.  Then suffered injuries in late '79, wheels came off, and he lost the starting QB job to Rick McIvor mid '80.  Still, Donnie played at running back and mostly wide receiver in '80 and '81, including a great win in the Cotton Bowl against Bama.

 

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35 minutes ago, MirrOlure said:

I feel like James Brown gets overlooked in these discussions, especially in the “big picture” context.

Last SWC and first Big XII Championships. Reminded us we could actually beat OU and A&M on multiple occasions ….brought a swagger that still resonates today as evidenced by the weekly “maybe we’ll beat them by xx points” posts on each betting line thread started every week.

Fact of the matter is that in the early 90’s Texas was very much the “uncool school” for DISD, HISD and Deep East Texas talent, which was either flooding out of state, or to A&M and OU. And yes, at that time, a Black starting QB at Texas was a big deal.

James Brown committed to Texas despite being one year behind the Annointed Savior Shea Morenz, seized the opportunity when it was presented, and never looked back. He made it cool to go to UT.

And he was a bad motherfucker. It was a different era offensively, but he posted numbers that stood up until Colt, Vince and even David Ash took down. He took down OU after 4 or more straight losses as a RS Freshman backup. He lead us to a win for the first time in forever at Kyle Field while playing on a sprained ankle.

The discussion of greatest post-DKR era UT quarterbacks absolutely must include James Brown.

James Brown was the first UT QB I fell in love with. That era got me really into UT football. He gave us the highest of highs. "Come To Run" was one of the top 5 plays in my UT sports watching experience. It was so epic, even down to the Musberger call. He backed up his words. It's why I still use the "maybe we beat them by ____ points". He wasn't afraid of anyone. 

I also was extremely bitter that he and all those guys who helped UT win both the final SWC title and the first Big 12 title were left to have their Senior Day on a bitterly cold November morning against Kansas in 1997 before only 40,000 people. It was also my final home game as a student. I was happy to see the LHN have Mackovic on yesterday to talk about the 1996 Big 12 Championship. I know Johnny Mack was an arrogant guy and rubbed people the wrong way but I'll be damned if you try to take that era of UT football away from me. That started the obsession. 

Edited by mdmost
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10 minutes ago, mdmost said:

James Brown was the first UT QB I fell in love with. That era got me really into UT football. He gave us the highest of highs. "Come To Run" was one of the top 5 plays in my UT sports watching experience. It was so epic, even down to the Musberger call. He backed up his words. It's why I still use the "maybe we beat them by ____ points". He wasn't afraid of anyone. 

I also was extremely bitter that he and all those guys who helped UT win both the final SWC title and the first Big 12 title were left to have their Senior Day on a bitterly cold November morning against Kansas in 1997 before only 40,000 people. It was also my final home game as a student. I was happy to see the LHN have Mackovic on yesterday to talk about the 1996 Big 12 Championship. I know Johnny Mack was an arrogant guy and rubbed people the wrong way but I'll be damned if you try to take that era of UT football away from me. That started the obsession. 

I started at UT in the Fall of '93 and was a pretty casual fan until that Nebraska game.  It was huge in giiving me and those of my age group a glimpse of what Texas Football should be. Loved partying on the drg after it.

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11 minutes ago, Valmy77 said:

Just to clarify when James Brown beat OU in 1994, Texas had only lost one in a row. Gardere finished his run in 1992. 

That loss was my first Texas OU. Senior year of high school. mdleast picked me up from my morning SAT exam and we raced over to Fair Park. 

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4 minutes ago, Grande Mart said:

I started at UT in the Fall of '93 and was a pretty casual fan until that Nebraska game.  It was huge in giiving me and those of my age group a glimpse of what Texas Football should be. Loved partying on the drg after it.

I was there and people were throwing oranges around thinking we were going to the Orange Bowl for some reason. But I guess it is easier than throwing fiestas around.

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8 hours ago, WelfareBuysMyWeed said:

been every bit as great as advertised.

He’s obviously not yet reached his rating potential.

The thing that’s impressing me the most about Quinn is, despite deficiencies that certain people (cough, cough) have repeatedly pointed out, he keeps progressing in these areas. His deep balls are not constantly being harped on, this weekend he threw very well under duress, and trusted his pocket more than I’d witnessed previously. He’s not sailing many balls.

Also very impressive, he bounces back from adversity like few QBs I’ve seen. He can throw an  interception or two, fumble, and then turn on switch at any point to get things back on track. This is huge.

13 hours ago, dr99 said:

He has a month to learn how to slide.

Yeah, he needs to spend a few days with the baseball team.

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19 hours ago, Irish Wrist Watch said:

Was just about to post this. We had the game won at that point, and if Sark had pulled Quinn, we coulda been thrown into the same category as FSU - i.e., an injured starting QB. 

Ewers is a trooper. Also, had he stayed on the sidelines, the Pros would be that much more leary of drafting him high. Now, the fact that he has taken us to the CFP makes me reconsider whether he'll go pro. His stock is up. If he has another great game or two, someone just might be willing to take him in the top 3 or 4 QBs. Might be too much money for him to sneeze at. We can move onto Arch Madness.

When he was interviewed about Worthy after the game, I thought he gave a lot more info (e.g., no break, he'll be fine for our next game) on purpose because he knew CFP committee was listening and he didn't want them to knock us for losing a key piece of our offense. 

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10 hours ago, mdmost said:

James Brown was the first UT QB I fell in love with. That era got me really into UT football. He gave us the highest of highs. "Come To Run" was one of the top 5 plays in my UT sports watching experience. It was so epic, even down to the Musberger call. He backed up his words. It's why I still use the "maybe we beat them by ____ points". He wasn't afraid of anyone. 

I also was extremely bitter that he and all those guys who helped UT win both the final SWC title and the first Big 12 title were left to have their Senior Day on a bitterly cold November morning against Kansas in 1997 before only 40,000 people. It was also my final home game as a student. I was happy to see the LHN have Mackovic on yesterday to talk about the 1996 Big 12 Championship. I know Johnny Mack was an arrogant guy and rubbed people the wrong way but I'll be damned if you try to take that era of UT football away from me. That started the obsession. 

Huh, I didn't know that "maybe we beat them by __ points" was a reference. Just looked it up. TIL.

 

 

Quinn Ewers against Bama 2x, OU 2x, UW in the bowl, and OSU in the CCG (6 games total): 

151/211 (71.6%), 1939 yards (9.2 ypa), 13 TDs, 4 INTs, 165.3 rating

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11 hours ago, Valmy77 said:

Just to clarify when James Brown beat OU in 1994, Texas had only lost one in a row. Gardere finished his run in 1992. 

That Gardere-to-Walker pass in 1989 happened right in front of me.  The place went nuts.  I was in the first few rows, around the goal line.  I also vividly recall looking straight downfield as OU ran toward us in the first half and their stud RB Mike Gaddis blew out his knee.  It was brutal.  Probably made the difference in the game.

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12 hours ago, mdmost said:

James Brown was the first UT QB I fell in love with.

Same.  His freshman year was my first year at UT, and my seats for the OU game that season were in the north endzone about five rows up, so I got a great look at his rushing TD and Stonie Clark's fourth down stop.  

I hated that James Brown's last year was the shitastic 1997 season.  He deserved a better send off.  

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https://theathletic.com/5107249/2023/12/02/quinn-ewers-texas-football-big-12-championship/

Quinn Ewers fulfills his Texas destiny: Longhorns return to top of Big 12, at last

Spoiler

By Max Olson

Dec 2, 2023

13


ARLINGTON, Texas — You’re not going to get tears of joy from Quinn Ewers, nor will you get fiery emotion. After the finest performance and the biggest win of his life, you get the same old Quinn.

As he stepped down from the trophy stage, a Big 12 title belt over his right shoulder, he didn’t glance around with glee to see all those fans in burnt orange partying inside AT&T Stadium. He didn’t respond to a childhood dream come true with childlike wonder. He stayed cool, calm and quiet, more pleased than thrilled.

That’s what it took for Texas to utterly dominate No. 18 Oklahoma State. This 49-21 triumph, the Longhorns’ first Big 12 championship since 2009 as well as its last, was Ewers at his very best. He wanted to go out and show everybody what he looks like when he plays what he calls his “true game.” On Saturday, Ewers was absolutely the truth.

“I told these guys to come out here and play like no one’s seen us play before,” he said. “Show them what Texas football is really about.”

GO DEEPER

Khan: Texas is a champion again, whether headed to the CFP or NY6. And the Horns are here to stay

We were given definitive proof of just how special Texas’ ballyhooed quarterback can be at his best. His career-high 452 passing yards on 35-of-46 passing easily shattered the Big 12 title game record, and four first-half touchdown passes set the tone on a day when the Longhorns had everything to prove and no interest in messing around.

“I thought Quinn was lights out today,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said.

On this big-time stage, Sarkisian’s offense turned into a scary symphony. The line kept the quarterback comfortable. The backs could break a big run at any moment. The pass catchers constantly created separation. The head coach was deep in his bag of tricks. The quarterback threw with clinical precision. And there was nothing Oklahoma State could do to stop any of it.

The theme of the day, over and over again: Ewers put the ball where it needed to be and his dudes did the rest. Xavier Worthy turned a quick out into a 54-yard gain. Adonai Mitchell caught an Ewers dime in stride after a filthy double move and went for 62. Tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders was open all day for eight catches and 105 yards. Even their 6-foot-4, 362-pound monster T’Vondre Sweat found a way to get wide open on his goal-line touchdown catch.

Texas’ playmakers combined for 342 yards after the catch Saturday, the most by any offense against a Power 5 defense in college football all season. Ewers connected with nine different players for 18 passes of 10-plus yards. One of the biggest reasons why this team got this far by Year 3 under Sarkisian: Texas has true difference-makers and knows how to use them.

On Monday, the head coach told his team exactly how this game would be won.

“He didn’t want us coming out throwing jabs,” running back Keilan Robinson said. “We gotta come out throwing haymakers and uppercuts. We wanted to end it from the jump. And that’s what we did.”

Quinn Ewers wins the Big 12 x WWE Most Outstanding Player award 🤘 @QuinnEwers @WWE pic.twitter.com/H70FTUvVxP
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) December 2, 2023

Ewers ensured this game was over well before they hit the fourth quarter. He was the hero without trying too hard to be heroic. When the first read was there, he threw it on time and accurately. When he needed to go through progressions and take his time, not once did he look nervous. That’s what mature quarterback play looks like.

The third-year sophomore has come a long way in his short time at Texas. It was the opportunity for moments like these that made him come home two years ago.

“There’s no better feeling, honestly,” Ewers said, “especially for the guys who just dreamed of playing here and coming to their state. Accomplishing something to this magnitude has been just nothing but a blessing.”

Texas has had 10 different starting quarterbacks since Colt McCoy last led this program to a Big 12 championship in 2009. Each and every one of his successors has been burdened by the weighty expectations of not just being The Guy at Texas but the expectation they needed to ascend to savior-level greatness in order for Texas to get back to contending for national titles.

Ewers, the No. 1 overall recruit in his class out of Southlake Carroll, knew what he was signing up for when he committed to Texas in 2020. He knew how it would look when he decommitted two months later. He knew exactly what it meant to this fan base when he transferred home from Ohio State and finally joined the Longhorns in December 2021.

When a fan base puts all of its hopes and dreams on you, making you an icon before you’ve ever played a snap, praying you become the best they’ve ever seen and judging you harshly if you aren’t, then you better be made of the right stuff. It takes a lot more than just thick skin to deal with it on a daily basis. Early on in their careers, it wasn’t always a ton of fun to be Vince Young or Colt McCoy.

There were times last season when Ewers’ confidence could’ve been seriously shaken. He didn’t look like a five-star when he faced Oklahoma State last October in Stillwater. Texas could’ve run away with that one, too, after rolling to a 31-17 lead in the second quarter. But Ewers didn’t have it on that windy day in Oklahoma. He completed just 19 of 49 passes, lost the lead and tossed two interceptions in the fourth quarter in a 41-34 loss that dropped his team to 5-3. If Texas wins that game, it would’ve played for a Big 12 title.

That low point was still fresh in Ewers’ mind this week as he prepared for revenge. But it was the moment when he messed up Saturday that showed his growth. Ewers, backed up to his own 29-yard line, fired a pass to a wide-open Worthy but couldn’t see Oklahoma State linebacker Nickolas Martin lurking. He took the interception down to the 3-yard line, setting up an easy score to cut the Cowboys’ deficit to 28-14.

A year ago, maybe that’s the play that starts the Texas meltdown. Not this time. Ewers went right back out and guided a 10-play, 82-yard touchdown drive to erase any momentary momentum.

“His response, like it’s been all year, was tremendous,” Sarkisian said.

When faced with the intense pressure of taking on No. 3 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, he stuck to playing his game and lit up the Crimson Tide. When an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder knocked him out for two games in the middle of the season, he came back ready to thrive. He’s completed 71 percent of his passes for 1,246 yards and eight touchdowns over this defining four-game stretch during which Texas had no room for error.

We’re watching him play with more confidence than ever. When that’s the case, you get a Texas team that can play with anybody. This team sent a clear message Saturday that, if they’re let into the College Football Playoff, they’re going to be a problem.

Three weeks ago, word began to get out starting with a report from Orangebloods.com that there was growing momentum behind Ewers returning to Texas in 2024. Perhaps it was the injury setback. Perhaps it was an assessment of the quarterback draft class and the sense that Ewers wasn’t approaching first-round status. Maybe he’s just having a heck of a time in college.

Many took that revelation as a surprise, believing that Ewers going three-and-pro had been the scripted plan all along. But the journey is never as straightforward as we expect, even for five-star phenoms.

After knocking out the Cowboys and taking home the belt, Ewers didn’t speak on what he plans to do next, nor did anyone ask. Sarkisian did not waste much time stumping for why his team belongs in the top four. Why get worked up about the future when you’re a program that has been chasing this very moment every day since 2010?

The kid whom everyone hoped would put Texas football back on top did just that while playing the best game of his life. This year, the hype was actually real. And after a decade of stumbling, at long last, the Longhorns looked unstoppable.

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