AUSTIN, Texas — Presumptive Texas Longhorns starting quarterback Quinn Ewers threw for 195 yards and one touchdown as Team White defeated Team Orange in Texas's 2023 Spring Game, 21-10.
Ewers completed 16 of 23 passes in three quarters of work Saturday. Sophomore running back Jaydon Blue led the game in rushing with 52 yards on 10 carries. Wide receiver Johntay Cook II led the game in receiving with 87 yards on three receptions for Team Orange.
Redshirt freshmen quarterback Maalik Murphy threw for 165 yards and a touchdown while completing nine of 13 pass attempts for Team Orange, while true freshman sensation Arch Manning threw for 30 yards on five of 13 completions.
Defensively, senior linebacker David Gbenda led Team White with eight tackles, while redshirt freshman defensive back B.J. Allen Jr. led Team Orange with eight of his own. Gbenda also added a sack to his ledger, while six others had also had a sack of their own.
While spring games are useful to determine potential starters for the fall, Ewers cemented his role as the Longhorns' starter entering the regular season. Head Coach Steve Sarkisian has praised Ewers' growth in his second season with the Longhorns.
"Some people may think, 'Well, we've got one guy.' I think we've got three quality players. Quinn is naturally a step ahead of everybody with the experience that he has," Sarkisian said. "We're now getting a full dose of Maalik [Murphy], I feel good about him. And I think Arch [Manning], just 13 practices into college football, is performing well."