Quinn Ewers was off to a hot start against Alabama, completing 9/12 for 134 yards, including a few impressive passes down field. As Texas neared the end zone Ewers took a huge hit, landing hard on his left (non-throwing) shoulder. He remained on the ground as the Texas medical staff rushed onto the field.
That was the end of Ewers day. He was seen late in the game on the sideline with his arm in a sling. Based on the mechanism of injury (how Ewers landed on his left shoulder), this appeared to be either an AC sprain or a collarbone injury. The AC (acromioclavicular) joint is where the collarbone and the scapula meet at the top of the shoulder. When sprained, this means the ligaments holding the two bones together are damaged. Because it’s to his non-throwing shoulder, this likely wouldn’t be a long-term injury. It can take weeks to heal, though, even if it’s relatively mild.
A collarbone injury would be more concerning as a fracture is possible. That would potentially end Ewers season, but at minimum he would need to miss 6-8 weeks while it heals.
Following Texas’ 20-19 loss, coach Steve Sarkisian said Ewers had a “clavicle sprain.” This isn’t an injury – the clavicle is a bone, and it can’t be sprained. A sprain typically involves a ligament (connects two bones) or tendon (connects muscle to bone). What this really means is that Ewers needs further testing. He underwent an x-ray at the stadium, which would have showed if there was a fracture. Next will be an MRI, which can look for other damage such as a ligament sprain or tear.
Third-year sophomore Hudson Card took over and completed 14-22 passes for 158 yards. He played in 7 games for Texas last season, totaling 590 yards and five touchdowns.
