On the brink of tying the College Football Playoff Cotton Bowl classic late in the fourth quarter and securing a spot in next Monday’s National Championship game in Atlanta, the Longhorns came up just short on Friday night.

Following the 28-14 gut-punching loss, head coach Steve Sarkisian raised some eyebrows thanks to some comments that he made during the team’s postgame press conference. 

According to Sark, starting quarterback Quinn Ewers has battled injuries throughout most of the 2024 season. In fact, he noted that outside of the first two games, Ewers hadn’t played a full game at full health, as shared to X by Longhorns Country’ Crissy Froyd. Sarkisian went on to say that the Texas field general has taught him a lot this season with the way he has fought through injury, the teammate he has been, and the way he has played. 

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3).

Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On paper, the junior signal caller passed the eye test with 29 touchdowns and 3,189 passing yards through the air during the regular season. However, Ewers took too many sacks, his accuracy was inconsistent, and he lacked the arm strength to push the ball downfield in critical moments this season.

Was Ewers’ inconsistent play during the late-season stretch a result of lingering injuries? Call it an excuse if you’d like, but it’s certainly a possibility. In the end, though, Texas’ hopes of claiming a fifth national championship were still dashed in devastating fashion.