Rivalry week ensues as the Texas Longhorns prepare to head to Dallas to meet the Oklahoma Sooners once more for the Red River Rivalry. As Saturday inches closer, it’s time to take a look at both teams, more specifically those at the helm: the quarterbacks. 

Michael Hawkins Jr, Oklahoma 

Michael Hawkins Jr, the freshman quarterback from Dallas, Texas, returns to his home city in his second game as a starter for the Sooners this season. Hawkins started the season as the backup behind sophomore quarterback Jackson Arnold but took over the starting role when Arnold struggled against Tennessee in the Sooners’ loss to the No. 8 Volunteers on Sept. 21. 

The first look the nation had at Hawkins was in the Tennessee matchup when Hawkins subbed in for Arnold after he struggled to maintain any type of momentum in the game offensively. Hawkins checked in under center and finished the contest 11-18, with 132 yards and a touchdown. He then went on a week later to face another SEC opponent as the starter against Auburn. 

For Auburn, it was much of the same with Hawkins, who posted 161 passing yards and no touchdowns while going 10-15. As quarterback, Hawkins led the team to a comeback win and their first SEC victory of the season. 

Hawkins is a young quarterback on an Oklahoma team that does not seemingly pose the same threat as years past. It will be up to Texas to take advantage of Hawkins’ lack of experience and capitalize on any mistakes in the game. Despite Texas’ favorable odds, the last thing the Longhorns want is to fall asleep at the wheel, especially when remembering a young man named Caleb Williams who also subbed in for Oklahoma against Texas in a game that did not go well for the Longhorns. 

Quinn Ewers, Texas

He’s back, and just in the nick of time. Junior Quinn Ewers will once again take control of the Longhorns, making his first start since suffering an oblique injury against UTSA on Sept 14. 

It’s been two games since Longhorns fans last saw Ewers step on the gridiron in full pads and ready for play. Before his injury, Ewers looked like one of the best players in the country, posting 691 passing yards and eight touchdown. He was listed as one of the favorites to win the Heisman. Ewers led the team to a 52-point shut-out over Colorado State in week one and an even more impressive 31-12 victory over the defending national champions and then-No. 10 Michigan in week two. 

As Ewers returns, so does a level of experience that developed throughout last season, when he led the team to a College Football Playoff appearance. 

It is not the first time Ewers has faced off against Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry — the Longhorns fell to the Sooners last season in a 34-30 nailbiter. As Ewers returns to the Cotton Bowl, so does the memory of last season’s loss and the implications for the rest of the season. Now, once again leading the No. 1 team in the country, Ewers will look to get back to his old self and keep the Longhorns undefeated in Saturday’s contest.