Ewers leads Longhorns to big win against Tide
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Quinn Ewers finished what he started last season, passing for 349 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 11 Texas to a 34-24 victory over third-ranked Alabama on Saturday night in a huge win for a program trying to climb back into national championship contention.
The Longhorns (2-0) delivered the biggest victory under third-year head coach Steve Sarkisian in a game that slipped away last season after a redhot Ewers exited because of a first-quarter shoulder injury. He was back and with another big weapon in receiver Adonai Mitchell. This amounted to a welcome to the Southeastern Conference moment for a Big 12 program set to join Alabama & Co. in the league next season.
“Even when it got dicey … I love the response and the grit and perseverance our guys showed,” Sarkisian said.
It didn’t come without a fight from the Crimson Tide (1-1), which have now had three games slip away late in the past two seasons. Alabama had its 21-game home winning streak snapped along with a 57-game regular-season binge against nonconference teams dating to Nick Saban’s debut season as head coach in Tuscaloosa, 2007.
Mitchell delivered big against Bama — again. The offseason Georgia transfer caught touchdown passes of 7 and 39 yards in the fourth quarter. As a freshman, Mitchell’s 40-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of the national championship game against the Tide gave the Bulldogs the lead and the first of back-to-back titles.
He caught the winner against Ohio State in the semifinal last December as well before Georgia topped TCU for another crown. Then Mitchell headed to Texas and another showdown with Alabama.
Sarkisian, a former Alabama offensive coordinator who parlayed that stint into the Texas job , came into the game 14-12 at Texas and with just two wins in nine tries against ranked teams. He left with a doozie of a win over his former boss. Texas fans lingered, sometimes breaking into chants of “SEC! SEC!”
Sarkisian reiterated that this game wouldn’t make or break the Longhorns’ season, but he added it’s a solid “benchmark” for where they stand.
“We have a ton of respect for Alabama, and I know how well they’re coached. I know how hard they play,” he said. “I think it just shows a lot about what we’re capable of. Like I said coming into this game, this game isn’t going to define our season. We have 10 regularseason games left.”
Ewers was 24-of-38 passing and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders had five catches for 114 yards.
Alabama’s Jalen Milroe delivered big plays passing and running, but also was picked off twice on bad decisions. He was 14-of-27 for 255 yards with a pair of touchdowns.
Alabama didn’t grab its first lead until Milroe found Jermaine Burton — another Georgia transfer — in the left corner of the end zone for a 49-yard touchdown with 14 seconds left in the third quarter. That came after a fourth-down stop when Ewers couldn’t control the snap under center.
That lead became a doubledigit deficit again in a whirlwind 84-second span. Ewers answered right back with a 50-yard pass and run to Sanders. Then he promptly hit Mitchell for his 7-yarder.
Jerrin Thompson stepped in front of Milroe’s pass and raced 32 yards to set up Jonathon Brooks’ 5-yard run. Suddenly it was Texas 27, Alabama 16.