Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian said star quarterback Quinn Ewers suffered an oblique strain during Saturday’s 56-7 win over UTSA at Royal Memorial Stadium.
The severity of this stress is still unclear, he said.
“It remains to be seen how serious this is and how long it will last, but that’s the way it is,” Sarkisian said after the game. “There’s nothing – you know, we don’t think it’s structural or broken.”
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Ewers appeared to be resting his right hand at the start of the match before suffering an abdominal muscle strain that ultimately led to his retirement.
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However, before his injury, he played well, completing 14 of his 16 pass attempts for 185 yards and two touchdowns, as well as one interception.
Sarkisian said running backs coach Tashard Choice first noticed Ewers’ injury after he completed a pass to Gunnar Helm.
“It was so strange, you know, it was a no-contact deal,” Sarkisian said.
“We called a run and he turned around and looked at me from eight yards away. He just pointed to his stomach and then got down on his knees.”
Arch Manning filled in for Ewers in remarkable fashion in his absence. The redshirt freshman and former top recruit threw for 223 yards, completing 9 of his 12 attempts, reaching the end zone four times and throwing a 67-yard touchdown.
Texas also got some valuable play from third-string quarterback Trey Owens in a stunning win. The rookie made his first career appearance and completed 2 of 4 passes for 19 yards.
The Longhorns (3-0) have another non-conference preseason game next week against Louisiana-Monroe before SEC play begins at home against Mississippi State the following week.
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