As the Texas Longhorns and Arizona State Sun Devils prepare to face off in the Peach Bowl — and with a trip to the College Football Playoff semifinals on the line — quarterback Quinn Ewers was forced to answer questions regarding comments made by opposing quarterback Sam Leavitt.
Quinn Ewers Takes The High Road While Addressing Eye-Catching Sam Leavitt Comments
Sun Devils quarterback Leavitt made headlines for his comments during Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl media day this weekend, in which he seemed to call out quarterback counterpart Ewers.
“People keep counting me out since day one, and I’m gonna go prove why I’m the better quarterback,” Leavitt declared.
That comments raised some eyebrows in the college football world — a young redshirt freshman, on the big stage for the first time, essentially staking his claim as the best quarterback in the matchup between the Longhorns and Sun Devils.
Ewers, of course, was asked for his response.
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
“Yeah I saw it, and congrats to them on a great year and a great season,” Ewers said. “I’ve got to watch some of their games, and he’s a talented player, and they’re a fun offense to watch. Just excited to be up against them.”
It’s the type of response you’d expect from a junior quarterback who — if he chooses — will be on an NFL roster in six months.
While Ewers could be an NFL Draft pick, comparing the numbers between the two signal-callers is interesting.
Despite missing multiple games due to an oblique issue, Ewers threw for 2,867 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions with a quarterback rating of 72.9, good for 28th in the country.
Leavitt, also missing a game with a rib injury, has thrown for 2,663 yards, 24 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. His QBR? 81.6, the ninth-best mark in the nation. He’s also a factor in the Sun Devils run game, with 383 yards and five touchdowns with his legs.
While the counting stats may already show Leavitt as the better player, the game won’t be played one-on-one. It will be the Sun Devils against the Longhorns at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 1, not Ewers vs. Leavitt.
The tested, seasoned Ewers didn’t seem to flinch at the fellow quarterbacks’ comment. That’s exactly how he looked in last year’s CFP semifinals against the Washington Huskies.
Down 37-31 with the ball on the Longhorn 31-yard line, only 41 seconds remained. The ball was in Ewers’ hands, and Texas needed a touchdown to advance to the national championship. Ewers calmly led Texas down the field, matching exquisite ball placement with straight-up moxie.
He gave the Longhorns one final chance from the Husky 13-yard line, but the pass was batted away. Regardless, Ewers’ clutch gene had shown up on the biggest stage. He threw for over 300 yards on the night.
While Leavitt performed well in the Big 12 Championship Game, the Sun Devils led 24-10 at halftime, and the game was never in danger from then on.
The CFP quarterfinal will be Leavitt’s biggest game to this point. How he plays will have a big impact on the outcome of the game, but so will the play of star running back Cam Skattebo. It will also affect how the Sun Devils’ defense fares against Ewers. It’s a team game.
At the end of the day, the game will be played between the Longhorns and Sun Devils, not Leavitt and Ewers. No matter the chatter, it also won’t be won or lost on media day.
You better believe that both Leavitt and Ewers — despite his reserved comments — can’t wait to get on that field and compete. They just might have a slightly different mindset.
We’ll just have to wait and see how that plays out.
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