Texas Longhorns Football

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers is expected to miss four-to-six weeks with two sprains at his clavicle, according to Rival.com's Anwar Richardson and ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Ewers suffered the injury in the first quarter of Saturday's 20-19 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide. The earliest he could return is the team's Oct. 8 matchup against Oklahoma, Richardson added.

Ewers was driven to the ground by Alabama's Dallas Turner, who was flagged for roughing the passer, late in the first quarter and did not return to the game. He was later seen on the sideline wearing a sling.

The 19-year-old had an impressive outing before exiting, completing 9 of 12 passes for 134 yards, consistently keeping the Crimson Tide defense on its toes.

Saturday's loss to Alabama was Ewers second career start with the Longhorns after transferring to the program following a stint at Ohio State in 2021 in which he sat behind C.J. Stroud.

In the team's season opener against Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 3, Ewers threw for 225 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in a 52-10 win.

Luckily for Texas, the program has some solid depth at quarterback.

Hudson Card replaced Ewers in Saturday's game against Alabama and managed to keep the team in the game until the very end when the Crimson Tide kicked a field goal to win it in the final minute.

Card completed 14 of 22 passes for 158 yards and also rushed for eight yards on six carries.

Card has been with Texas since 2020. He appeared in seven games during the 2021 season, completing 61.4 percent of his passes for 590 yards, five touchdowns and one interception.

Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian should be more than comfortable with Card under center until Ewers returns. Texas will face unranked programs in UTSA, Texas Tech and West Virginia before facing No. 7 Oklahoma on Oct. 8.

Retired NFL quarterback Drew Brees called for Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers to re-enter the game Saturday after he was knocked out during the first quarter against No. 1 Alabama with an apparent shoulder injury.

In an Instagram post, Brees wrote: "If it's an AC joint separation…locker room, shoot it up, put on a harness, and shot gun snaps only the rest of the game. You got this young buck!"

Alabama's Dallas Turner landed hard on Ewers and was called for roughing the passer. Ewers was replaced by Hudson Card and never returned to a game Texas lost 20-19 on a field goal by Bama with 10 seconds remaining.

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian announced after the game that Ewers suffered a sprained clavicle and would get an MRI.

Before the injury, Ewers was fantastic, completing nine of 12 passes for 134 yards.

In his place, Card finished 14-of-22 for 158 yards with zero touchdowns or interceptions, and he led Texas to a go-ahead field goal with 1:29 left in the game.

Brees seemingly implied in his post that Ewers should get a cortisone injection, but the injury turned out to be a collarbone issue.

The 43-year-old Brees is widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history and a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer.

In 20 seasons with the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints, Brees was a 13-time Pro Bowler, two-time Offensive Player of the Year and 2009 Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl MVP.

He ranks second in passing yards with 80,358 and second in passing touchdowns with 571.

Brees didn't miss many games in his career, playing 15 or 16 every season from 2004 through 2018. He missed five contests in 2003 and 2019, and four in his last campaign in 2020.

After he suffered a torn labrum and other damage in his throwing shoulder in 2005, it was unclear if Brees would ever be the same, but he was better than ever upon signing with the Saints in 2006.

Given the issues Brees experienced with his shoulder early in his career, it can be argued that calling for Ewers to play through a potentially significant injury was a bad look.

The Texas Longhorns fell just short of pulling off a massive upset against the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, and the referees received the brunt of the blame on social media for Texas' loss.

Even with Longhorns starting quarterback Quinn Ewers getting knocked out of the game early with an apparent shoulder injury and backup Hudson Card seemingly playing much of the contest with a leg ailment, it took a field goal in closing seconds for Bama to edge Texas 20-19.

The first hugely controversial play of the game occurred in the third quarter when Alabama quarterback and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young was seemingly sacked in the end zone for a safety.

It would have put the Longhorns up 12-10, and the fans at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin went wild. However, the celebration was cut off when the referee announced Texas had been called for targeting and roughing the passer.

After review, the official noted that there was no targeting and that roughing the passer had been mistakenly announced. Texas fans cheered, but the ref also announced fourth down for Alabama, meaning there was no safety either.

The confusing announcement led many experts and fans wondering what had gone down:

Ultimately, it was determined that Young was never down before he threw the ball away, although he did have his forward progress stopped and the ball didn't come close to reaching the line of scrimmage, so a strong case could have been made for a sack or intentional grounding, either of which would have resulted in a safety.

Texas managed to recover and take a 13-10 lead in the third quarter and later extended it to 16-10 in the fourth, but the Longhorns perhaps could have done even more damage if not for another questionable call.

During the second field-goal drive, Texas running back Keilan Robinson looked like he was clearly facemasked, but there was no call, which led to some incredulous responses on Twitter:

The Longhorns had to settle for a field goal, which left the door open for the Tide rather than putting them down by two scores.

Alabama took advantage with a go-ahead touchdown with 8:29 left, but Texas responded with a field goal with 1:29 remaining to restore the Longhorns' lead to 19-17.

Texas left too much time on the clock for Young, though, as he drove Bama down the field for what turned out to be a game-winning, 33-yard field goal with 10 seconds left on the clock.

Once Texas' upset bid ended, there was plenty of mention of the safety that never was since there was only a one-point margin of defeat:

While it is unclear how the game might have changed with the safety call, Texas would have had the lead and possession of the ball, and it could have potentially added to that two-point advantage.

Instead, the game remained tied and Young took over in the fourth quarter to avoid what would have been the biggest win for the Texas football program in more than a decade.

Alabama overcame a sluggish offensive performance to survive Texas' upset bid with a 20-19 win at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young endured his share of struggles but came alive when it mattered most. He set up the game-winning field goal with 10 seconds left by taking the offense 61 yards over nine plays in 79 seconds.

As impressive as that final possession was, it may not have been the best drive by Young in the game. The junior star accounted for 68 of 75 yards on an 11-play drive early in the fourth quarter that ended with Jahmyr Gibbs' touchdown catch to help give Alabama a 17-16 lead.

Prior to that, Young was 12-of-20 for 77 yards. He finished 27-of-39 for 213 yards and one touchdown plus 38 yards on seven carries.

This was one of the worst performances by the Crimson Tide in recent years. It marked just the second time since 2018 they have been held to 20 points or fewer in the regular season.

Jase McClellan did have an 81-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to help Alabama to a 10-3 advantage, but his other five carries gained 16 yards.

At one point in the fourth quarter, Alabama had more penalty yards (100) than passing yards. The usually stout secondary gave up 292 yards and 8.6 yards per attempt.

Texas didn't even have Quinn Ewers available for most of the game. The redshirt freshman sensation left in the first quarter with an apparent shoulder injury after being hit by Dallas Turner.

On a day when so many things seemed to work against Alabama, Young pushed his team to victory on the road against a quality opponent.

Things will almost certainly be easier next week. The Crimson Tide will host Louisiana-Monroe at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Sept. 17.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers suffered a sprained clavicle in the first quarter of Saturday's 20-19 loss to Alabama, head coach Steve Sarkisian told reporters after the game.

Sarkisian added Ewers will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the injury.

The injury occurred when Alabama linebacker Dallas Turner landed on Ewers after getting pressure on the Longhorns star on a pass attempt near the goal line.

The medical staff looked at Ewers on the field for a few moments before he was taken to the locker room for further examination.

Turner was flagged for roughing the passer. Bijan Robinson scored from the 1-yard line on the next play to even the score at 10.

Sophomore Hudson Card took over for Ewers on the Longhorns' next offensive possession. The Texas native was a 4-star prospect and No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the 2020 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Card beat out Casey Thompson to be Texas' starting quarterback in 2021, but he was benched early in the season after a poor performance against Arkansas.

Expectations for Ewers are incredibly high. He was the top-ranked prospect in the 2021 recruiting class and spent his first season at Ohio State before transferring to Texas in December.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian named Ewers the Longhorns' starter to begin the season. He went 16-of-24 for 225 yards and two touchdowns in a 52-10 win over Louisiana-Monroe last week.

Ewers was having his way against Alabama's defense prior to the injury. He went 9-of-12 for 134 yards in the first quarter.

Card played well in relief, going 14-of-22 for 158 yards over the final three quarters. Texas took a 19-17 lead on Bert Auburn's 49-yard field goal with 1:29 remaining in the fourth.

Alabama responded with a nine-play, 61-yard drive that ended with Will Reichard hitting the game-winning 33-yard field goal with 10 seconds left to play.

Saturday marked the 10th all-time matchup between the Crimson Tide and Longhorns. Texas has a 7-2-1 advantage in those games, but both of Alabama's wins have come in the past two matchups.

Texas hasn't beaten a team ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 standings since a 45-35 victory over Oklahoma in October 2008.

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian announced Friday that Quinn Ewers will be the team's starting quarterback in 2022 following a battle with Hudson Card this summer, per Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman.

Sarkisian told reporters Thursday that he had "a pretty good idea" which quarterback he would name the starter.

This is the second straight year that Texas has had to host a quarterback competition leading into the regular season.

Last year, Card and Casey Thompson, who has since transferred to Nebraska, battled for the job. Card won the start for the team's first two games, but Thompson replaced him in a Week 2 loss to Arkansas and remained the starter for the rest of the year.

Earlier this week, Sarkisian made mention of Card's experience in the Texas offense, prompting some to believe he was going to be named the Longhorns' starting signal-caller, via ESPN's Chris Low:

"Last year was difficult in having two players that were new to the [offensive] system, and that's always hard, especially when one of them isn't a returning starter who had really been in the fire. This year, even though they're new, Hudson's got a little experience, and Quinn is coming in from another program. The reality is Quinn should really be a freshman in college. He reclassified after preseason camp had started. It was kind of a wash of a season for him."

Ewers was the No. 1 prospect in the 2021 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and a 5-star recruit out of Southlake, Texas. He initially committed to Texas in August 2020 before decommitting and heading to Ohio State to capitalize on the opportunity to earn money from name, image and likeness deals.

C.J. Stroud won the starting job for the Buckeyes, and Ewers spent part of the 2021 season with the team but didn't see the field before entering the transfer portal in December.

Now that he's in Texas, Ewers will have to prove he is the right man for the starting job, especially with Arch Manning, the top-ranked prospect in the 2023 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings, set to come in and battle for the spot soon.

Texas opens the 2022 season against Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 3.

Texas running back Bijan Robinson has released a gourmet Dijon mustard with the name "Bijan Mustardson."

The Heisman Trophy contender is featured prominently on the condiment's website, which includes a funny origin story:

"Throughout his formative years, Bijan scored touchdowns everywhere, mostly on the football field via football. By 2022, Bijan had scored touchdowns in every way, shape and form. Running and receiving. Stiff arming and juking. Even occasionally passing. The only place he hadn't scored a touchdown was his taste buds.

"So Bijan did what everyone expected Bijan to do: Create his own gourmet Dijon mustard and call it Bijan Mustardson. With the help of top-quality chefs, Bijan made a mustard that was so good, it tasted like a touchdown. It was then he knew, pending production timelines, mouth touchdowns for everyone would be a mustard-purchase away."

It's the only item available on the website and has three purchase options: one jar for $7.95, two jars for $15.90 or four jars for $31.50.

Robinson is coming off a 2021 season with the Longhorns where he recorded 1,422 yards from scrimmage and 15 total touchdowns (11 rushing and four receiving) across 10 games.

It's made him a popular target for companies looking to do name, image and likeness (NIL) contracts ahead of the 2022 campaign.

He's recently made Instagram posts showcasing deals with C4 Energy and Lamborghini Austin.

Robinson explained he doesn't drive the Lambo much because he's not a "flashy guy or anything," and he's hopeful other NIL contracts include his Texas teammates, per Matthew Postins of Heartland College Sports.

"Obviously, it's been really fun," he said. "But I'm just the guy that's gonna try to help out the next man and try to get him in on a deal."

The Longhorns kick off the season Sept. 3 when they host Louisiana-Monroe at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

University of Texas head football coach Steve Sarkisian is looking to make significant improvements in his second season at the helm with the Longhorns.

Per ESPN's Chris Low, Sarkisian suggested that there could be some addition by subtraction this season, as not everyone involved with the team bought in during the 2021 campaign:

"The kids knew not everybody in that locker room was all-in last year. I think they could feel it, and they wanted to weed out some of the warts, some of the bad apples. I think they got a sense of reality about some of the things we were talking about and trying to instill last offseason. I don't know how much they gave credence to it, and then those same things reared their ugly head in-season.

"They came back in January with this mindset of, 'We've got to take these things to heart because they will show up again.' They've made that investment and bought into every aspect of it, and you can feel it amongst our team."

In the first season under Sarkisian, the Longhorns posted their worst record since 2016 at 5-7 and failed to qualify for a bowl game. They also lost six consecutive games, which was the program's most losses in a row since 1956.

While the results weren't immediately there, one thing Sarkisian has already done is turned the recruiting tide back in Texas' favor.

According to 247Sports, the Longhorns have the fifth-best recruiting class in the nation for 2022, behind only Texas A&M and a trio of perennial national championship contenders in Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State.

Also, 247Sports ranks the Longhorns' 2023 recruiting class as the second-best in the country, suggesting that the future is bright for Sarkisian's team.

Fans and observers are eagerly awaiting the arrival of quarterback Arch Manning next season, but until then, the Longhorns have a quarterback battle on their hands entering the 2022 campaign.

Sophomore Hudson Card and freshman Quinn Ewers are vying to take the first snap of the season, and while Card has the experience edge after starting the first two games of the 2021 season, Ewers is the more highly touted player.

Ewers transferred to Texas from Ohio State after being ranked by 247Sports as the No. 1 overall player in the 2021 recruiting class.

One year in, Sarkisian has been able to bring in more of his handpicked players, while watching some of the incumbent players from the previous Tom Herman regime leave.

That means Sark may have gotten a pass for last season, but he'll likely start to be graded more harshly in 2022 and beyond since more of the players were recruited by him.

Texas was once one of the premier programs in college football, but it has only one double-digit-win season to its credit since going 13-1 in 2009, and it hasn't won a Big 12 title since 2009, either.

The Big 12 has largely been dominated by Oklahoma over the past decade, but Sarkisian was brought in to put that to a stop.

Although the Longhorns still have to prove it on the field, Sarkisian's comments suggest that he believes the program is finally moving in the right direction.

Two-time All-American fullback and two-time national champion Steve Worster, who served as the bedrock and inspiration for head coach Darrell Royal's wishbone offense at the University of Texas, died Saturday at the age of 73.

Worster's alma mater announced his passing Sunday.

"Steve was the toughest football player I have ever seen," Longhorn teammate and College Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bob McKay said. "He hit or was hit on every down and never backed down or slowed up."

Worster amassed 2,353 yards and 36 touchdowns during his collegiate career. His Texas teams also won three Southwest Conference titles. Worster had 898 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns in 1970, when he finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy race.

The bruising fullback affectionally known as "Woo Woo" arguably had his best game at the 1970 Cotton Bowl, when he amassed 155 yards in a 21-17 win over Notre Dame.

The wishbone led to tremendous success thanks in part to Worster, who received much praise from Royal in a 1969 Sports Illustrated piece, as relayed by ESPN's Dave Wilson.

"In the formation, there were three running backs with Worster, the fullback, lined up directly behind the quarterback," Wilson wrote.

"Two running backs were positioned farther back, on either side of the fullback, in a Y, or wishbone shape. Royal acknowledged Worster's abilities when Duffy Daugherty, the Michigan State coach, called to ask for pointers on the new scheme."

"You don't want my offense," Royal said.

"You want my fullback, and he's got two more years with me... He's the kind of kid who just goes out and causes wrecks, straightens his headgear and walks back to the huddle quietly."

Texas ended up going 30-2-1 in Worster's three seasons. The 1969 team notably went 11-0 and took down No. 2 Arkansas 15-14 in the "Game of the Century."

Prior to his Longhorn tenure, Worster starred at Bridge City High School in Texas. He was named a high school All-American en route to gaining 2,210 rushing yards for the 1966 Class 3-A state football champions.

"There's never been a more celebrated high school athlete that produced to the level of his high school hype," teammate and fellow Texas Athletics Hall of Honor member Bill Zapalac said, per Wilson.

The Los Angeles Rams selected Worster in the fourth round of the 1971 NFL draft. He eventually played one year as a professional for the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats in that same year. Per Wilson, Worster said he had lost interest in football and simply wanted to make a good living and raise a family.

Following his death, he also received praise for who he was off the field, including this note from sportswriter Ken Rodriguez.

Worster is survived by a son and daughter.