AUSTIN, Texas — Few regular-season matchups put as much pressure on a quarterback as the Oklahoma-Texas game.
The emotions of a century-old border clash between the Red River rivals, the pregame crowds at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, and the four hours of constant crowd noise inside the Cotton Bowl are conditions that will test any quarterback. Then, of course, there’s the actual playing of the game — which will be a Southeastern Conference showdown for the first time after the former Big 12 powers moved over this year.
Top-ranked Texas (5-0, 1-0) 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 to 1900.
“I’ve got faith,” Sooners coach Brent Venables said this week of Hawkins.
Texas will likely start Quinn Ewers, who has missed the past 2 1/2 games with an abdomen strain as redshirt freshman Arch Manning has taken advantage of the chance for playing time. Ewers has missed time in each of the past three seasons, and the latest injury came on a noncontact pass play when he strained a muscle.
Both teams had an open date last week, 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.
Hawkins replaced Jackson Arnold late in the first half of Oklahoma’s home loss to Tennessee on Sept. 21 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 earn the program’s first SEC road win.
Hawkins’ biggest play was a 48-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, showcasing a burst of speed that conjured memories of Kyler Murray. And it got the Longhorns’ attention, too.
“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 4 or 5 or 6 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.”
AP photo by Butch Dill / Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. (9) breaks free for a touchdown run on Sept. 28 at Auburn.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 scored 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 reigning national champion 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 against the Big Ten’s Wolverines.
He has proven to be fragile, however. Shoulder and sternum injuries knocked Ewers out of part or all of four games in 2022, then three more last season. He has not played since the first half against the University of Texas at San Antonio on Sept. 14.
Ewers returning this week would be 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.
Manning has started the past two games. He has passed for nine touchdowns and run for three more this season. His second career start was the Longhorns’ first win in the SEC.
He is the grandson of former Ole Miss and NFL quarterback Archie Manning and the nephew of two-time Super Bowl championship quarterbacks Eli Manning and Peyton Manning. Even if he doesn’t have deep roots in the Red River Rivalry, he’ll certainly have help to succeed in a big moment.
“I have no hesitation of Arch going into the game,” 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.”