April 23, 2022; Austin, TX, USA; Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) throws a pass during Texas’s annual spring football game at Royal Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas on April 23, 2022. Mandatory Credit: Aaron E. Martinez-USA TODAY NETWORK
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers suffered a shoulder injury during Saturday’s game against Alabama, and it is one that will cost him several games.
Ewers will be out for at least a month, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports. Texas is bracing for a 4-6 week absence after an MRI confirmed that Ewers has an SC sprain in his shoulder. The earliest he could potentially return is Oct. 8 when Texas plays Oklahoma.
The earliest that Ewers could potentially return is the Oklahoma game on Oct. 8.
Ewers suffered the injury late in the first quarter of the Longhorns’ 20-19 loss. He had to escape pressure and throw the ball away but was driven into the ground by a defender as he released the pass. The redshirt freshman stayed down for several moments while clutching at his arm.
Hudson Card entered the game for Texas after Ewers got hurt. He went 14/22 for 158 yards. The sophomore quarterback also fought an injury. He was seen limping due to an apparent ankle/foot issue.
Ewers, a transfer from Ohio State, was excellent in the first quarter against Alabama, going 9/12 for 134 yards. Losing him for a month or longer is a huge blow to the Longhorns.
Jan 30, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo before the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The San Francisco 49ers secured a reliable backup quarterback when they signed Jimmy Garoppolo to a restructured contract. They also kept the veteran away from a division rival.
Schefter notes that the Rams’ interest in Garoppolo did not have a direct impact on San Francisco’s negotiations with the 30-year-old. The 49ers were unaware that the Rams wanted Garoppolo until after they signed Jimmy G. to a new one-year deal that is worth up to $16 million with incentives.
The Rams have been aggressive in acquiring veteran players over the past several seasons. While they have downplayed Matthew Stafford’s elbow ailment, it is possible that the injury may have been a factor in their desire to sign a proven backup like Garoppolo.
Some have wondered if San Francisco’s decision to keep Garoppolo has something to do with their lack of trust in Trey Lance, but Kyle Shanahan insists that is not the case. In any event, the Niners would much rather have Garoppolo riding their bench than that of their biggest division rival.
Mar 4, 2017; College Station, TX, USA; Former Texas A&M Aggies quarterback and 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel watches a game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Texas A&M’s most famous recent alum had an appropriate reaction to the team’s upset loss on Saturday against Appalachian State.
Johnny Manziel was bummed to see his Aggies lose 17-14 at home to the Mountaineers. The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner tweeted a brief message in which he offered his support to the program.
“I’ve got 2 years of eligibility left, right? Manziel jokingly asked.
Manziel won the Heisman Trophy after his redshirt freshman season and then left for the NFL after the following season. He lost the remaining two years of eligibility when he turned pro, but the tweet is still funny.
Unfortunately, the 29-year-old Manziel wouldn’t be too helpful for A&M these days.
The Aggies had the No. 1 recruiting class in the country and were a preseason top-10 team. Now they’re 1-1 with games against Miami and Arkansas in the coming weeks, and Alabama two weeks later. They need to get things squared away soon before things get really bad.
The worst part about Notre Dame’s home loss to Marshall on Saturday is that they paid good money for the privilege of being beaten.
The Fighting Irish lost 26-21 at home against the Thundering Herd at Notre Dame Stadium. Schools like Notre Dame typically have to pay a lesser opponent good money to entice them to come play a tough road game that will likely result in a loss.
In this case, Notre Dame paid Marshall $1.25 million to come play the game. And then they got beat. That’s a big double whammy.
Notre Dame’s quarterback play was a big problem in the game.
Starting QB Tyler Buchner threw two interceptions. Backup Drew Pyne threw for a touchdown and an interception. The real backbreaker was Buchner’s second interception, which was a pick-six with just over four minutes left. Pyne followed with an interception on the ensuing series.
New head coach Marcus Freeman is now 0-3 at Notre Dame. By comparison, Brian Kelly had only lost three games total over his final two seasons before bolting for LSU.
Brian Kelly's final two seasons at Notre Dame: 21-3
Marcus Freeman's first three games at Notre Dame: 0-3
Bryce Young made the play of the game for Alabama in the Crimson Tide’s 20-19 win over Texas on Saturday, and it turns out his team got away with an infraction on the play.
Alabama was down 19-17 with 35 seconds left and had a 1st-and-10 at the Texas 42. Young narrowly avoided a sack and was able to scramble for a 20-yard gain to the Texas 17.
Alabama was called for 15 penalties that yielded 100 yards. Texas fans will say it should have been at least 16 penalties, and that the hold by Latham was a huge missed call.
The officiating crew in Saturday’s game between the Texas Longhorns and Alabama Crimson Tide made a total mess of a key call in the end zone roughly midway through the third quarter.
The Longhorns appeared to get a safety by sacking Alabama’s Bryce Young in the end zone, a potential game-changing play that would have given Texas the lead and the ball. However, a late flag came in, and the penalty was announced as roughing the passer and targeting. That took the safety off the board and appeared to give Alabama a new set of downs, though like all targeting calls, the play was subject to further review.
It was quickly clear that both the roughing the passer and targeting calls were awful decisions. In fact, replays showed that Young was not even down when he was hit by Texas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who was flagged for the fouls.
After the review, referee Scott Campbell somehow corrected himself. Campbell announced that there was no targeting, and that the roughing the passer call was also wiped out as it was “described incorrectly to the referee.” However, there was no safety, as Young successfully got rid of the ball before he was down.
In short, the officials ultimately got the call correct, albeit in truly bizarre fashion. The roughing the passer call was apparently the same as the targeting call, which caused the confusion. Had there been two fouls on the play, the roughing call would not have been reviewable even if the targeting foul was withdrawn.
Sep 25, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Dana Holgorsen looks on from the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Navy Midshipmen at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen spent eight years in Lubbock as a member of the Texas Tech coaching staff. Needless to say, he knows a little bit about their traditions and what his players can expect come Saturday afternoon.
One such tradition is the tortilla toss.
Started in 1992 after a sportscaster said all Lubbock had to offer was a tortilla factory, Texas Tech fans began throwing tortillas onto the field. And at the opposing team and fans.
Holgorsen not only witnessed this as a member of the Texas Tech coaching staff, he also witnessed it as an opposing coach over the years.
“I’ve coached a lot of games in Lubbock. It’s an awesome place, I’ve got a lot of memories there,” Holgorsen said, via Talk 103.9. “I used to throw the tortillas on my way up to the press box, now I’m getting hit by them, but that’s cool.”
Having been on both sides of it, Holgorsen has picked up a few notable pieces of information along the way. Case in point: Do not eat the tortillas — especially those that have been rolled up.
On his weekly radio show, Dana Holgorsen gave an important PSA to any @UHCougarFB fans making the trip to Lubbock regarding the tortillas that are thrown through the stadium at Jones AT&T Stadium:
“Do not, under any circumstances, eat the ones that are rolled up”
Given that Texas Tech does not allow tortillas into the stadium, it’s up to the fans to find creative ways to smuggle them in… If you smell what The Rock is cooking.
For Houston fans who don’t get the message, it may seem like a power move to take a bite of the tortillas. But in reality, the joke will be on them.
Dec 21, 2021; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll reacts against the Los Angeles Rams in the second half at SoFi Stadium. The Rams defeated the Seahawks 20-10. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
When debating the “perfect quarterback,” many will settle on the likes of Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes or even Russell Wilson. Older fans may argue Joe Montana, Steve Young or Dan Marino. But not Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.
When asked on Friday how he would build the perfect quarterback, Carroll didn’t hesitate. He immediately named the retired Carson Palmer and not the aforementioned Wilson, who spent 10 years in Seattle.
“There’s never been a more perfect guy than Carson Palmer,” Carroll said, via Brady Henderson of ESPN. “I mean, he was perfect. He was big, he was strong, he was fast, he was a great athlete, he was a great competitor.”
Palmer was Carroll’s quarterback at USC from 1998 through 2002, and even won the Heisman Trophy as a senior after throwing for 3,942 yards and 33 touchdowns. He was then selected first overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2003 NFL draft and retired in 2017 after a 14-year NFL career.
Although Palmer never won a Super Bowl, he was named a Second Team All-Pro in 2015 and voted to the Pro Bowl three times.
The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Palmer ended his professional career having thrown for 46,247 yards and 294 touchdowns.
With Carroll and the Seahawks likely to be in the quarterback market come 2023, his commentary on Palmer is worth noting. It may also offer insight into what the team is looking for when they scout signal callers throughout the college season.
Jan 19, 2020; Santa Clara, CA USA; Terry Bradshaw before the NFC Championship Game between the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers at Levin’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw is not completely on board with the team’s pick for starting quarterback for the beginning of the 2022 season.
In an appearance on “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd on Friday, Bradshaw admitted that he would have made rookie Kenny Pickett the starter out of training camp. He added, however, that he understood coach Mike Tomlin’s decision to start veteran Mitchell Trubisky instead.
Terry Bradshaw and @ColinCowherd are in agreement on starting Kenny Pickett:
"I think Mike Tomlin is honoring their commitment to bring him [Trubisky] in knowing that the real starter is the kid." pic.twitter.com/zMI3pgNkip
“I think Mike is honoring their commitment to bring him in knowing that the real starter is the kid,” Bradshaw said. “I will say this: I would’ve started Pickett, because I’ve already seen the other guys. I know they can play well one week or two weeks, and then we’re going to see the other side.
“I would have started the kid, and I wouldn’t have had to make any excuses for it. He’s exciting, the players love him, the fans love him. He’s 24 years old, started 54 games in college. He is so ready to play that I would have started him, but I understand why they didn’t.”
That is a very strong endorsement from Bradshaw, a Hall of Famer in his own right. It’s also an opinion that would likely be shared by many within the Steelers’ fanbase. It helps that Bradshaw’s optimism about Pickett seems to be shared by another franchise legend, too.
While the Steelers have tried to downplay the hype around Pickett, they are clearly seeing the same things Bradshaw is. If Trubisky slips up, the Steelers probably will not wait too long to make the change.
Sep 11, 2021; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Nick Saban is likely the most well-prepared coach in college football. But there was one thing even he did not know ahead of Saturday’s game between Alabama and Texas.
Saban talked with reporters on Wednesday ahead of the game between his Crimson Tide and the Longhorns. One reporter asked the coach if he had reminded his players not to do the “Horns Down” gesture to avoid a 15-yard penalty.
Saban was somewhat lost during the question and admitted he was unaware of the penalty. The coach thanked the reporter and indicated he had plans to add that to his list of things to tell his players.
Nick Saban was not aware of the “Horns down” gesture being a penalty.
A media session proving to be valuable to Saban? There’s a new one.
Yes, players doing the “Horns Down” gesture is now regarded as taunting and results in a 15-yard penalty. Don’t expect a Tide player to do it this weekend, not unless they want to get chewed out by Saban on the sidelines.
