The Texas Longhorns are about to get a big piece of the puzzle back out of the box.
Quarterback Quinn Ewers, injured in the Longhorns’ win over Houston on Oct. 21, will return to the starting lineup for No. 7 Texas this weekend against TCU, after missing two games with a sprained shoulder (Texas QB Quinn Ewers to return from shoulder sprain vs. TCU).
The Longhorns are 8-1, and got two starts from freshman Malik Murphy in Ewers’ absence, just getting by No. 25 Kansas State last week in Austin, 33-30, in overtime, after having little problem with BYU in a 35-6 blowout the week prior, also in Austin.
TCU (4-5) has had a disappointing season after perhaps overachieving last season, getting all the way to the College Football Playoff national championship and getting blasted by (then) defending national champion Georgia.
“He’s had a great week of practice,” Sarkisian told the Associated Press. “I thought he got stronger as the week went on. I really didn’t feel like there was a throw he couldn’t make.”
Ewers led the Longhorns to an upset of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, the first time the Crimson Tide had lost a non-conference game in Bryant-Denny Stadium since coach Nick Saban’s first season (2007), and Alabama has not lost since the loss to Texas earlier this year.
Texas is in the hunt for its first national championship since 2006, and of course, the Big 12 Championship. The Longhorns are 5-1 in conference play, and so is Oklahoma State. Kansas, Oklahoma, Kansas State, West Virginia and Iowa State are all 4-2.
Ewers has completed 151-of-213 passes (71 percent) for 13 touchdowns and just three interceptions this season, but has been sacked 17 times. He’s got 53 yards and five touchdowns on 39 carries.