Plenty of questions linger, but Texas can start providing answers in opener against ULM
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers says he doesn’t get caught up in the hoopla.
“I walk to class with the headphones in, head down, just keep going,” the long-haired, scraggly-bearded, Aston Martin-driving advertising machine and Longhorns starter said. Believe it or not, in some spots on this campus, he probably blends right in.
But any last shred of anonymity will be gone come Saturday night.
Ewers will be center stage in Texas’ season opener against Louisiana-Monroe as the biggest question mark on a team that's loaded with them:
Is Ewers, the redshirt freshman transfer from Ohio State, ready for this moment? Is this offensive line, which features multiple freshmen, ready for its debut?
Has this defense improved from last season? Will there be any pass rush off the edge?
More:Texas is always athletic and physical, but are these Longhorns mentally stronger?
What about the new and relatively inexperienced kicker and punter?
And maybe most important, has Texas coach Steve Sarkisian addressed enough issues from last year's 5-7 debacle to make considerable improvement this fall? The Horns open the season unranked, and oddsmakers put this year's win total at 8.5 games.
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Few outsiders believe the Longhorns can even reach Arlington, much less win the Big 12 title. But there will be plenty of true believers inside Royal-Memorial Stadium. The school announced a total of almost 64,000 season tickets sold, breaking the 2019 record of 63,279.
Fair or not, much of the burden falls on Ewers’ shoulders. Sarkisian himself believes quarterback is the most important position in sports. But it’s not the be-all, end-all, either, as recent history can attest.
“I expect him to be kind of who Quinn is,” Sarkisian said. “And when the game starts, hopefully we’re putting him in position to do the things that he does well.”
Sarkisian said he can’t re-create the environment of 100,000 people in practice. So he doesn’t really know how Ewers will react.
“In the end, he’s playing a game that he’s been playing his whole life,” Sarkisian said. “He’s been really good at it, and I expect him to play really well in this environment as well.”
Sam Ehlinger was a four-year starter at Texas with more than 11,000 passing yards. But the Horns made only one Big 12 title game appearance on his watch. Ehlinger’s coach ultimately got fired despite going 4-0 in bowl games.
Ewers hasn’t played an extended game — or taken a hit by a defensive player — since the 2020 season at Southlake Carroll. He missed six games that year due to an injury but finished with 2,442 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Teammates have showered Ewers with praise this August, calling him “chill” and “cool.” Not much really rattles him, they all said.
“Very, very chill and mellow,” right tackle Christian Jones said. “He’s a one-play-at-a-time type of guy. That’s all you need.”
Never get too high; never get too down. Always remain even keel.
“I've always kind of been that way,” Ewers said. “Maybe not when I was younger, obviously. I wasn’t as mature as I am now. At the end of the day, it’s not the end of the world. I just try to go focus on the next drive and just worry about the next drive, the next play after that. So, it’s in the past.”
Will Ewers be anxious? Maybe not against Louisiana-Monroe, but what about next week against No. 1 Alabama?
“I don’t know if it’s anxious at all,” Ewers said. “I’m just really happy to have the opportunity to go back out on the field and just do what I love with these great teammates.”
Fortunately for Ewers, there’s a slew of explosive playmakers all around him, provided the quarterback can get the ball out.
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Running backs Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson make a terrific 1-2 punch. Receiver Xavier Worthy, last year’s Big 12 freshman of the year, is back for more. The Horns are bullish on this tight ends group, although this program hasn’t utilized or maximized that position in who knows how long.
It all depends on the blocking up front, to a large degree. Freshmen Kelvin Banks Jr., DJ Campbell and Cole Hutson are all likely to either start or see playing time in their UT debuts. Veteran guard Junior Angilau, UT’s most experienced lineman, is out for the season with a torn ACL. These youngsters must lead the way.
On the other side, the defensive line should be a team strength, although that was believed to be the case last year, too. Keondre Coburn, T’Vondre Sweat, Byron Murphy and Moro Ojomo must hold the point of attack. And someone must pressure the quarterback.
More:Finally, game week: Highlights from Texas football Steve Sarkisian's Monday press conference
Defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski wasn’t trying to be glib in early August when he was asked about last season’s pass rush. “What pass rush?” he said with a straight face. He was serious. There wasn’t any.
The Horns tied for seventh in the Big 12 in sacks with just 20. That’s five from being tied for last place with TCU and Kansas. Oklahoma State led the league with 56.
“Pass rush, you can generate with four guys or you can generate with pressure and the less you have to blitz,” Kwiatkowski said. “When you have to blitz, you know, there’s issues with that. We’ve got to get better off the edge. We’ve got to get better inside. We’ve got to be better coordinated, right?”
Sarkisian does not allow reporters to speak with his assistants during the season, so Kwiatkowski’s unit and production will have to speak for him as the season progresses.
“Just starting from spring ball, we’ve made a big progression with our pass rush,” Murphy said. “We’ve gotten better with our hands. We’ve improved a lot.”
Special teams need to have a strong start Saturday, too. Isaac Pearson is taking over the punting chores while Bert Auburn will be the kicker for the opener. Cameron Dicker handled both last season with aplomb.
Most fans will enjoy the season opener, but they’ll also withhold judgement about this year’s team until the second week. Nick Saban and the top-ranked Crimson Tide will be in Austin for a blockbuster matchup Sept. 10.
More:Is Texas ready for the SEC? This season will tell us all about the Longhorns' progress
That game will be the first time Texas has faced Alabama since the 2009 national championship game.
Next week will be full of “what if Colt McCoy hadn’t gotten hurt?” speculation. And why wasn't Mack Brown forced out so Saban could take the Texas job in 2013. Maybe we’ll eventually find out how many houses Miss Terry Saban really owned in Spanish Oaks. Some rumors are just too fun to die.
First and foremost, what if Texas struggles against Monroe? Then all questions are directed back at Sarkisian. He owned last year’s record.
“Five-and-seven is 5-7. That sucks. I’ll call it like it is,” he told a crowd of UT fans at the Houston Touchdown Club in May.
Most UT fans would nod in agreement.
Saturday is Sarkisian’s first public chance to rectify the situation. A solid debut is the best way to get the season started right.
“What a cool, exciting time,” Sarkisian said. “There’s nothing like the start of a football season.”
Contact Brian Davis by phone or text at 512-445-3957. Email bdavis@statesman.com or follow on Twitter via @BDavisAAS
Saturday's game
Louisiana-Monroe at Texas, 7 p.m., LHN, 104.9, 105.3, 1260, 99.3, 98.5
Scouting Louisiana-Monroe
Last year: 4-8
For starters: The Warhawks are 30-39-2 all-time in season openers and 0-12 all-time vs. current Big 12 schools.
Three players to watch: (1) LB Zach Woodard — Last year's team MVP as well as defensive MVP, Woodard was the Sun Belt's fifth-leading tackler and led ULM with 8½ tackles for loss. He had double-figure tackles in four games, including 11 at LSU; (2) WR Boogie Knight — Was ULM's leading receiver in all three major categories last year (45-588-3), and 26 of his 45 catches went for first downs, a 58% clip; (3) QB Chandler Rogers — The junior college transfer started four games for Blinn College, throwing for 750 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions.
FYI: The Warhawks were the least penalized team in the country last season; they committed only 44 penalties, or an average of 3.6 a game. ... Rogers, the starting quarterback, is a Texan (Mansfield). In fact, there are 29 Texans on the roster. ... Head coach Terry Bowden — the son of Florida State coaching legend Bobby Bowden — replaced both of his coordinators in the offseason. The new offensive coordinator is Matt Kubik, who was ULM's OC and QBs coach from 2016 to 2019, and the new defensive coordinator is Vic Koenning, who ran West Virginia's defense last year.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Plenty of questions, but Texas football can give answers against ULM
