Quarterbacks take center stage as Texas-Oklahoma rivalry heats up in Cotton Bowl

Texas QB Quinn Ewers is on track to return from injury. Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images.

Few regular season matchups put as much pressure on a quarterback as the Texas-Oklahoma rivalry.

The emotions of a century-old border clash, the pregame crowds at the State Fair of Texas and the four hours of constant crowd noise inside the Cotton Bowl — not to mention playing the game itself — are conditions that will test any quarterback.

Top-ranked Texas (5-0, 1-0 SEC) and No. 18 Oklahoma (4-1, 1-1) head into that swirling environment Saturday with vastly different experience, skill sets and question marks around the most important position on the field.

Oklahoma will start Michael Hawkins Jr., who will have to deal with the emotions as the first true freshman starting quarterback for the Sooners in the history of a rivalry that dates back to 1900.

“I've got faith,” in Hawkins, Sooners coach Brent Venables said this week.

Texas will likely start Quinn Ewers, who has missed the last two and a half games with an abdomen strain. Ewers has missed time in each of the last three seasons, and the latest injury came on a non-contact pass play when he strained a muscle.

Both teams had last week off, giving them extra time to get both quarterbacks ready.

“If anybody benefited from the time off, it was probably (Ewers),” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said.

The newcomer

Hawkins replaced Jackson Arnold late in the first half of Oklahoma's loss to Tennessee and provided enough of a spark to earn the starting job the following week at Auburn. His debut as a starter was a success — the Sooners rallied in the fourth quarter to pull out a win over the Tigers and claim the program's first Southeastern Conference road win.

Hawkins' biggest play was a 48-yard touchdown run in the first quarter that conjured memories of Kyler Murray with its burst of speed. And it got Texas' attention.

“His first touchdown was a pass where he tucked it and took off and ran,” Sarkisian said. “When he pulls it, it's not to get four or five or six yards. He went for 50.”

Oklahoma quarterbacks have won four Heisman Trophies since 2003. As a freshman, Hawkins has a chance to get on the radar for that kind of honor down the road.

For now, Hawkins has to stay in the moment and take it one game at a time before that can happen.

“Play the calls. Don’t overcomplicate things and don’t try to win the game in the first quarter,” Venables said. “But he’s a playmaker, so you don’t want to handcuff him either. But don’t let the emotions hijack what it takes to execute — the precision, the timing, the patience, the progression — all of those things that a quarterback has to have.”

The veteran

On the experience chart, Texas has the clear advantage.

Ewers is a third-year starter and has held up well in the Cotton Bowl pressure cooker in his two previous appearances in this rivalry.

He led Texas to the Big 12 championship and the College Football Playoff last season. He also rallied Texas to a lead over the Sooners in the final two minutes last season before Oklahoma scoring the winning touchdown with 15 seconds left.

Ewers has arguably played his best in Texas' biggest games, including a 49-0 romp over Oklahoma in 2022, a win at Alabama in 2023 and a victory at Michigan this year.

Ewers opted not to turn pro after last season and was among the early contenders for the Heisman after the Longhorns' big win at Michigan.

But he has proven to be fragile. Shoulder and sternum injuries knocked Ewers out of part or all of four games in 2022, and three more last season. He has not played since the first half against UTSA on Sept. 14.

Ewers returning against Oklahoma is similar to 2022 when he missed the three games before the Oklahoma matchup, then blitzed the Sooners with four touchdown passes.

Ewers has not met with the media since his injury against UTSA, but if he goes down again Saturday, Texas has a big-time backup.

Second-year freshman Arch Manning has started the last two games. He has passed for nine touchdowns and run for three more this season. His second career start was Texas' first win in the SEC.

Manning is the grandson of NFL Hall of Famer Archie Manning and the nephew of Super Bowl winners Peyton and Eli. Even if he doesn't have deep roots in the Texas-Oklahoma rivalry, he'll certainly have help to succeed in a big moment.

“I have no hesitation of Arch going into the game” if needed, Sarkisian said. “We're fortunate to have two quality players at the quarterback position that we have confidence in, and their teammates have confidence in them.”

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The Longhorns host Georgia on Saturday night. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

By any measure, from the official statistics to the informal eye test, top-ranked Texas' defense has been dominant.

The Longhorns rank No. 1 in total defense and scoring defense. They are top 10 in first downs allowed, tackles for loss and passing yards. Much of that is built against opponents starting former walk-on quarterbacks ( Michigan ) and freshmen ( Mississippi State and Oklahoma.)

But the level of quarterback play Texas will face, in both talent and experience, is about to get much better over the second half of the season.

Texas hosts No. 5 Georgia on Saturday night in the first matchup of top five teams in Austin since 2006, before playing the next week at Vanderbilt. Bulldogs senior Carson Beck was a preseason first team Associated Press All-America pick, and standout Vanderbilt transfer Diego Pavia has carried the Commodores to a surprising 4-2 start, including a historic win over then-No. 1 Alabama.

Quite simply, Texas hasn't defended this caliber of quarterback all season.

Beck is a player on the doorstep of the NFL, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said.

“There's nothing in the throw game (Beck) can't do,” Sarkisian said. “He's played enough football now, too. It's kind of hard to confuse guys when they've played that much football.”

Texas (6-0, 2-0 SEC) has allowed just one team to pass for more than 200 yards this season. Beck passed for 459 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions last week in a 41-31 win over Mississippi State. His 36 completions set a Georgia record.

Even when Beck struggled early in Georgia's loss to Alabama, he rallied the Bulldogs to a late fourth-quarter lead. He finished with 439 yards in the loss where Georgia's rally ended with an Alabama interception in the end zone in the final minute.

Sarkisian recruited Beck when the Texas coach was an assistant at Alabama. Beck had initially committed to the Crimson Tide before switching to Georgia.

Beck is 18-2 in his career as a starter, and 6-2 against top 20 opponents.

The Bulldogs (5-1, 3-1) will need another exceptional game from him Saturday. A second SEC loss could threaten any chance of playing for the SEC championship, and raise the alarms on the College Football Playoff as well.

Texas has all but overwhelmed opposing quarterbacks so far.

In last week's 34-3 thrashing of rival Oklahoma, the Longhorns sacked Sooners freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. five times, and held him to 27 yards on 20 carries. Texas allowed just 225 total yards.

Hawkins was the first Sooners freshman to start at quarterback against the Longhorns in the 120-year history of the rivalry and was quickly swallowed up by a relentless pass rush.

By the numbers, the Longhorns program is on pace for a historic season. Sarkisian has said his favorite stat is points allowed, which is not many.

Texas has surrendered only three touchdowns all season. Opponents have snatched four turnovers inside Texas territory, but none have produced points.

That ability to snuff momentum can drain an opponent, Sarkisian said.

“We're so composed as a defense,” Texas safety Michael Taaffe said. “We're so confident, that no matter what happens, everything is going to be alright.”

The only time Texas has trailed this season was a 3-0 early deficit against Oklahoma. Several Longhorns starters were still on the field when the Sooners' final drive stalled at the Texas 6-yard-line as the game ended.

The stars emerging for the Longhorns have been second-year linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and freshman edge rusher Colin Simmons.

Hill leads the team in total tackles (42), sacks (4 1/2) and tackles for loss (8 1/2). His sideline-to-sideline speed and move this season from the edge to the middle of the Texas defense has drawn comparisons to former Longhorns All-American Derrick Johnson 20 years ago.

Simmons has four sacks and 7 1/2 tackles for losses, second on the team in both categories.

“Size, speed,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said in summing up the Texas defense.

“They’re the complete package on defense," Smart said. "The consistency you watch them play with, it reminds me of some of our best teams here.”By any measure, from the official statistics to the informal eye test, top-ranked Texas' defense has been dominant.