The Texas Longhorns wanted to bounce back from their rivalry loss to Oklahoma with a statement game against Houston. But what they wanted and what they got didn't align.
Instead of a routine game against the 3-3 Cougars, the 24-point favorites found themselves in a dogfight with Houston. They lead by just three points in the fourth quarter.
To make matters worse, the Longhorns lost quarterback Quinn Ewers to an injury late in the third quarter.
Ewers took a hit from Houston's David Ugwoegbu on a third-down scramble. While Ugwoegbu was initially hurt, it was Ewers who may have more of a problem than initially suspected. He was replaced by Maalik Murphy on the next Texas drive.
Quinn Ewers injury update: Texas quarterback headed to locker room
Quinn Ewers enters the tunnel as Maalik Murphy enters the game as QB pic.twitter.com/5No28zvhv3
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 21, 2023
Ewers spent time in the tent with trainers after the hit. However, he wasn't able to return to the game and was spotted by the broadcast going back to the locker room. No official update was given as to his status.
However, he eventually emerged from the locker room wearing a sling.
Quinn Ewers is out of the medical tent and is walking on the sideline in a sling.
— Bob Ballou (@BobBallouSports) October 21, 2023
Ewers was 23-of-29 for 211 yards and two touchdowns before he left the game. Despite those solid numbers, Texas ran into unexpected trouble with the Cougars.
The Longhorns scored touchdowns on three of their first four possessions. However, their next five possessions produced just three points and featured two fourth-down stops
The stagnant offense allowed Houston to claw back into the game. They tied it up at 24-24 with 7:43 remaining in the fourth quarter. However, Texas scored a touchdown and held on to win.
UPDATE: Head coach Steve Sarkisian revealed Ewers hurt his shoulder but did not give an indication as to how long he might be out.
“Quinn (Ewers) has a hurt shoulder. We’ll know tomorrow. He tried to play through it.” - Steve Sarkisian #HookEm
— Inside Texas (@InsideTexas) October 21, 2023