Texas coach breaks down Week 1 performance for Casey Thompson

First-year Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian broke down the performance of backup quarterback Casey Thompson during the season opener against Louisiana. After losing the starting job to Hudson Card, Thompson was promised a role in the offense, which he got in Week One.

“He played well,” Sarkisian told reporters during a Monday press conference. “I think it was two minutes to go in the third quarter. He operated really well. The key for him is…the same in-game live reps in our system. That’s a real luxury. You’ve got to make sure your backup is prepared to play in those key moments.”

Thompson entered the game on the last possession of the third quarter, throwing his first pass of the season with 30 seconds left in the period. He led a touchdown drive to start his season and later took Texas into field goal range.

He finished the day 4-for-5 with 41 yards and a touchdown.

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Texas revealed earlier this week that though Hudson Card would start the game, Casey Thompson would still get reps. That was the case in a 38-18 win over a ranked opponent.

Card finished 14-of-21 passing for 224 yards and two touchdowns, playing most of the first three quarters before exiting with a 16-point lead.

Steve Sarkisian welcomed the performance, expressing excitement about the play of both quarterbacks.

“I thought both guys played very efficiently,” said Sarkisian. “I thought both guys for the most part took advantage of their opportunities when they got them. Both guys did a nice job on third down.”

Sarkisian said his plan all along was to put Thompson in toward the end of the game. The game experience both quarterbacks gained will be extremely valuable.

“It wasn’t gut feeling,” said Sarkisian. “It was just kind of when was the right time to do it. Getting Casey in there around the middle of the third quarter and letting him play about a quarter-and-a-half of football. Hudson got two-and-a-half quarters. That’s big for us. Neither guy has a lot of experience. So for them to get that opportunity is gonna be big for us moving forward as a team. All in all, it was effective. Those two guys played pretty efficiently.”

Texas now prepares to face former Southwest Conference rival Arkansas on the road. Sarkisian says he is excited to see Hudson Card’s and Casey Thompson’s performance in a hostile road environment.