AUSTIN — No one received damage throughout Texas’ Orange-White spring game at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday. In a public exhibition that didn’t preserve a rating or statistics, that counted as the evening’s largest “win.”
“Anybody who’s been to enough spring games like this, part of the win is coming out healthy, which we did tonight,” coach Steve Sarkisian mentioned after the Longhorns performed out their ultimate spring follow in entrance of about 30,000 followers. “But all in all, I thought it was a good night.”
Like Sarkisian promised, Texas saved the play-calling “vanilla” on each side of the ball. Still, the Longhorns produced just a few explosive performs to preserve the evening attention-grabbing, even when it didn’t reply any major questions — like who’s going to begin at quarterback.
The competitors between sophomore Hudson Card and redshirt freshman Quinn Ewers will proceed by way of the summer time “to be fair to both those guys,” Sarkisian confirmed.
Neither Card nor Ewers seemed objectively extra certified than the different to begin the Longhorns’ Sept. 3 season opener in opposition to Louisiana-Monroe.
Ewers delivered the throw of the day, flicking a 67-yard landing strike to Wyoming switch receiver Isaiah Neyor. The throw hit Neyor in stride after he received just a few steps behind the secondary.
Ewers additionally threw a foul interception proper to senior security Anthony Cook and overthrew just a few open receivers. But the former Southlake Carroll quarterback shrugged that off and closed out his evening by hitting star sophomore Xavier Worthy for a landing in the scrimmage-ending purple zone competitors.
Card, who began Texas’ first two video games final season, seemed a bit steadier in the pocket, although he nonetheless showcased some joyful toes at instances. He scored on a dashing landing and delivered a dart to sophomore tight finish Ja’Tavion Sanders, who tried dragging just a few defenders throughout the objective line solely to find yourself stripped by junior security Jerrin Thompson.
“Both guys really had some flash plays, some really cool plays,” Sarkisian mentioned. “Whether it’s throwing down the field, orchestrating drives or in the red area. And we saw some plays I think both guys would love to have back. That’s part of the position, sometimes you can’t control some of the other things going on around you. But I like where these guys are at. If I could have said that they would play this good after 15 practices this spring, or if one of them would have I’d be ecstatic.”
Aside from Neyor and Sanders, who each made a number of catches, Worthy and junior Jordan Whittington had been most lively in the passing game. Rising redshirt freshman Casey Cain was focused a number of instances, although one resulted in Ewers’ interception and one other was damaged up by fifth-year cornerback D’Shawn Jamison.
Notably, Heisman candidate defensive again Bijan Robinson (ankle sprain) didn’t play for precautionary causes. That led to added touches for Roschon Johnson, junior Keilan Robinson and sophomore Jonathan Brooks. All three impressed.
Brooks broke off a pair large runs whereas chopping away from defenders, showcasing each his burst and imaginative and prescient. Okay. Robinson sped away from would-be tacklers on just a few chunk performs. And Johnson picked up the place he left off final season, knifing by way of the protection’s intestine on a placing 55-yard landing scamper.
“We’re going to need those guys just like we did last season, and the idea that we could run the ball like that without Bijon, that’s really encouraging to me,” Sarkisian mentioned. “On the flip side, man, if we can learn to get these guys on the ground we will be pretty effective, but we got to minimize the big plays, the explosive plays for sure.”
On protection, fifth-year edge defender Ovie Oghoufo, senior deal with T’Vondre Sweat, sophomore finish Prince Dorbah, sophomore deal with Byron Murphy II and junior lineman Myron Warren every recorded a sack.
Card and Ewers discovered themselves below stress a number of extra instances, although with the quarterbacks in non-contact jerseys and a shorthanded offensive line it’s tough to inform how a lot, if in any respect, Texas’ cross rush has improved.
In the secondary, Ohio State switch nook Ryan Watts confirmed off his protection chops by breaking apart a cross in the finish zone supposed for senior Marcus Washington. And junior nook Jahdae Barron produced one among the day’s largest collisions, blasting second-year receiver Dajon Harrison to jar the ball free and drive an incompletion
“This was not about scheme in this game,” Sarkisian mentioned. “This was about lining up, trying to play good football, who could block, who could get off blocks, who could tackle, who could cover, who could run routes and catch the ball in competitive settings. I kind of learned a little tonight. Again, assess the tape and see where we’re at.”
Twitter: @NRMoyle