Arizona State players were very open in expressing their confidence leading up to their College Football Playoff game against Texas, and star quarterback Quinn Ewers clearly took note.
Ewers completed 20/30 passes for 322 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception while leading Texas to a thrilling 39-31 win over Arizona State at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. During an on-field interview after the double-overtime game, Ewers made an unsolicited remark about some of the trash talk he heard from his opponent.
Ewers was asked how he felt about Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian putting the game in the quarterback’s hands late. Ewers said that meant a lot to him but also mentioned how the Sun Devils “like to talk a lot.”
“It’s definitely very nice to see the confidence that he has in me. I just couldn’t be more happy and proud of this team,” Ewers said. “You know, they like to talk a lot on their side of the field, but we let our pads talk and let our game talk. So, I’m just proud of our team.”
"They like to talk a lot on their side of their field but we let our pads talk and let our game talk."
Quinn Ewers after @TexasFootball's win against Arizona State 🤘 pic.twitter.com/HQ7YSrECqq
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) January 2, 2025
Ewers had obviously been waiting to bring that up. Arizona State players may have done some talking during the game, but quarterback Sam Leavitt also made some notable comments leading up to it.
In a press conference earlier in the week, Leavitt told reporters he was looking forward to proving “why I’m the better quarterback” than Ewers.
“I’ve watched him for a fair amount of time now. I’m just excited for the opportunity. People keep counting me out since day one, and I’m gonna go prove why I’m the better quarterback,” Leavitt said. “That’s how I feel since day one, so I’m gonna go put everybody on the map.”
Sam Leavitt on facing off against Quinn Ewers:
"I've watched him for a fair amount of time now. I'm just excited for the opportunity. People keep counting me out since day one, and I'm gonna go prove why I'm the better quarterback."@SunDevilSource pic.twitter.com/RTKAJhpCzb
— Blake Niemann (@Blakes_Take2) December 28, 2024
Ewers took the high road when asked about Leavitt’s bold claim.
“He’s a talented player and they’re a fun offense to watch,” Ewers said Monday. “I’m just excited to be up against them.”
ASU QB Sam Leavitt said, “I’m gonna prove why I’m the better quarterback” than Quinn Ewers.
Here’s Ewers’ response to Leavitt’s comments.@SunDevilSource pic.twitter.com/Q6j4lI2n4C
— Blake Niemann (@Blakes_Take2) December 30, 2024
Arizona State star running back Cam Skattebo also made headlines ahead of the Peach Bowl when he said there is “nobody out there that can stop me,” including Texas’ stout rushing defense. Skattebo ended up having a huge game, but he was widely mocked over those remarks early on.
Texas was favored by 12.5 points against Arizona State, so the Sun Devils performed better than most people expected them to.
