How calm Quinn Ewers led a Texas takedown of Alabama
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Alex Scarborough, ESPN Staff Writer
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Texas upset Alabama 34-24 on Saturday night, and Longhorns linebacker Jaylan Ford couldn’t let the celebration pass without finding quarterback Quinn Ewers on the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. It took a minute to locate the author of the Longhorns’ biggest win in more than a decade, but when Ford found Ewers, he pulled him in close for a big bear hug and a quick word.
“Helluva game,” he told Ewers. “You got more to go win.”
Ford let Ewers go enjoy the moment that had been such a long time coming. It felt great seeing Ewers’ success, Ford said, “Because all that s— people have been talking about him.”
Ah, yes, that. Ewers certainly has amassed more than his fair share of critics. And oddly enough, many of them were Texas fans at first when he backed off his commitment in 2020 and signed with Ohio State. The theory went that as the first college player to sign a $1 million name, image and likeness deal, he was doing nothing more than chasing the money. But then he left Columbus after one season, and Buckeyes fans got their turn at heckling him. Back to Texas he went — and under the microscope that every Longhorns’ quarterback gets treated to.
Maybe his mullet made him an easy target too. Who knows? He cut it off this summer.
Either way, it made what happened here on Saturday night all the more special. Because when it felt like momentum was slipping away — after Alabama scored a touchdown and secured a 2-point conversion to cut the lead to three in the fourth quarter — it was Ewers who calmly entered the huddle.
A year ago, he left the Alabama game with an injury and watched helplessly from afar as the lead slipped away.
This time, he was in control.
This time, he turned to his teammates and said, “Let’s go win.”
And they did.
Seven plays later, Ewers put the final nail in the Crimson Tide’s coffin with a 39-yard touchdown pass to Adonai Mitchell. His line: a sterling 24 for 38 passing for 349 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.
Texas got its long-awaited signature win, and Ewers got vindication.
Forget the injury. Forget battling with Hudson Card for the starting job. Forget the addition of five-star Arch Manning during the offseason.
Ewers overcame all that and more.
“It’s been a long road, and he played a heckuva game,” Longhorns athletic director Chris Del Conte said.
Even Vince Young had to stand up and applaud.
“The whole world was against him; it was against all odds,” the Longhorns legend said. “I’m very proud of him.”
Not just that.
“We are not done yet,” Young said.
From the outside, there were plenty of questions about whether Ewers could carry Texas back to national prominence. But internally, there was belief, which is why teammates reveled in Ewers’ success more than he did.
“Quinn’s a dog,” veteran defensive lineman T’Vondre Sweat said. “I’m not surprised.”
Neither was Mitchell.
“I guess this is y’all’s first time seeing it,” he said. “So I guess it’s new to y’all, but we’ve always believed in him.”
Steve Sarkisian always believed in Ewers’ talent too. But what Ewers showed Saturday — a total command of the offense, the ability to quickly work through his reads and be decisive — was a result of his preparation leading up to the game, the Texas coach said.
Work like that every week and the sky’s the limit.
“I think it can serve as a springboard for Quinn if he can recreate the habits right Sunday through Friday to get himself ready,” Sarkisian said.
For his part, Ewers tried to keep the win in perspective, turning the attention back to his teammates — to their preparation, to the play of the offensive line, to the spectacular catches made by the wide receivers.
Did this represent redemption for him?
“I wouldn’t say redemption,” Ewers said skeptically.
He didn’t bite when asked whether the game “legitimized” his development.
But the signal-caller did say it was good to finish what the Longhorns started against Alabama last year.
“It was awesome to come in here and do what we did,” Ewers said.
What was special, Ewers explained, was seeing his parents afterward — their smiles and how “fired up they were.”
“It’s definitely going to be a moment I’m going to remember forever,” he said, allowing himself just a bit of reflection. “Yeah, it’s going to be pretty cool to look back on.”
Play like he did against Alabama and he’ll make even more memories.
Saturday’s performance silenced his critics.
Now comes the fun part: making fans.
SEWELL, N.J. — A few days after brothers John and Matthew Gaudreau died when they were struck by a driver while riding bicycles on the eve of their sister Katie’s wedding, family friends were visiting parents Guy and Jane at their home during a rainstorm. Looking outside after the skies cleared, they saw a double rainbow that brought them some momentary peace.
Since then, Jane Gaudreau had not gotten any signs she attributed to her sons, so she sat in their room Friday and asked them for some divine intervention to clear out bad weather in time for an event to honor their legacies. After a brief scare of a tornado watch the night before, a rainbow appeared Saturday morning about an hour before the sun came out for the inaugural Gaudreau Family 5K Walk/Run and Family Day.
“I was so relieved,” Jane said. “I was like, ‘Well, there’s my sign.'”
Thousands attended the event at Washington Lake Park in southern New Jersey, a place John and Matthew went hundreds of times as kids and around the corner from Hollydell Ice Arena, where they started playing hockey. Roughly 1,100 people took part in a walk or run in person, along with more than 1,300 virtually in the U.S., Canada and around the world.
“I think it speaks to them as a family, how close they were and how everybody loved being around them,” said Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, one of a handful of NHL players who were close to the Gaudreaus and made a point to be there. “You just see the support from this community and from other players as well that are here and traveled in. It just says a lot about Johnny, Matty, their legacy and this family as a whole, how much support they have because they’re such amazing people.”
Along with honoring the NHL star known as “Johnny Hockey” and his younger brother who family and friends called Matty, the goal of the event was to raise money for an accessible playground at Archbishop Damiano School where Jane and her daughter Kristen work. It was a cause John and Matthew had begun to champion in honor of their grandmother Marie, who spent 44 years at the school and died in 2023.
It became their mother’s project after their deaths.
“Jane works every day with children with disabilities, and she knew how important it was for the playground to be built,” said family friend Deb Vasutoro, who came up with the idea for a 5K. “The playground has been a project for, I think, four or five years, and there just never was enough funding. When the boys passed and Jane needed a purpose, she thought, ‘Let’s build the playground.’ It was the perfect marriage of doing something good to honor the boys and seeing children laugh and smile.”
The Rev. Allain Caparas from Gloucester Catholic High School, which the brothers attended and played hockey for while growing up in Carneys Point, said raising funds for the playground is an extension of the impact they had on the community.
“They’re continuing to make a difference in the lives of so many others,” Caparas said. “Johnny and Matthew lived their lives with purpose, and now we’re celebrating that.”
Social media filled with mentions from folks in Columbus and Calgary, the NHL cities in which John Gaudreau played, and as far away as Ireland and Sweden. Paul O’Connor, who has been tight with the Gaudreau family from son Dalton being childhood best friends with Matthew, couldn’t empty out his inbox because he kept getting notifications about signups and donations.
“It just keeps growing,” O’Connor said. “And people that couldn’t be here, they’re doing a virtual [5K]. If they can’t do either, they’re just throwing money at the cause.”
Tears welled up in the eyes of Guy and Jane as they talked about the event. His speech to the crowd was brief and poignant at the same time.
“I’d like to thank everybody for coming,” Guy said after running the 5K. “It really means a lot to Jane and the girls and the family. We miss the boys, and it really means a lot for us to have you here to honor my boys. Thank you.”
The sea of people first in the rain and then the sunshine included folks in gear from all across hockey. Tkachuk wore a “Johnny Hockey” hoodie with Gaudreau’s name and No. 13 on the back.
He handed sticks, collected from various vigils in late August and early September, to race winners along with fellow players Erik Gudbranson, Zach Aston-Reese, Tony DeAngelo and Buddy Robinson.
“Our family wouldn’t have missed this,” Gudbranson said after flying in Friday night following a trip to Walt Disney World. “Hockey’s a very tight community. It’s still a tragedy. We miss the boys.”
The aim is to hold the event annually moving forward, potentially in Calgary and Columbus.
“We thought this was such a good thing to honor the boys we want to keep it up,” Jane said. “I just think each year it’ll just get better and better.”
Florida Panthers forwards Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell will be ready for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night in Edmonton, coach Paul Maurice said Saturday.
Both players were injured in Wednesday’s series-clinching Game 5 win against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Panthers forward A.J. Greer‘s status for the series opener against the Oilers remains uncertain. He missed Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals and was on the ice for only 4:22 in Game 5 due to a lower-body injury.
All three players did not participate in Saturday’s practice, the first team skate since the defending champions booked their spot in the Final rematch.
“I think the only question mark is Greer,” Maurice said. “We will list him as day to day. The other guys are fine. They will be back on the ice tomorrow when we do a little bit of an optional.”
Luostarinen, 26, recorded 24 points (9 goals, 15 assists) in 80 games during the regular season and 13 points (4 goals, 9 assists) in 17 games this postseason.
Lundell, 23, tallied 45 points (17 goals, 28 assists) in 79 games in the regular season and 12 points (5 goals, 7 assists) in 17 playoff games.
Greer, 28, posted 17 points (6 goals, 11 assists) in 81 games in the regular season and three points (2 goals, 1 assist) in 12 playoff contests.
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