Thompson shows knack for getting Horns on board
AUSTIN — Above all else, a quarterback’s job is to manufacture points. And few at the FBS level have done the job better than Casey Thompson has of late.
It’s becoming something of an overworn statistic at this point, but that makes it no less meaningful: Dating to the 2020 Alamo Bowl, Thompson has led Texas to points on 16 of 18 drives.
He just went 7-for-8 against Rice, the lone blemish an interception — the first of his career — caused by a bone-rattling hit born of busted pass protection. Otherwise, Thompson sailed through his first career start, completing 15 of 18 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns in the Longhorns’ 58-0 laugher.
“I think his level of play continues to rise based on the arena that he’s in, and that’s a really cool quality to have,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday. “Because we don’t play quarterback in a Tshirt and shorts. … It’s still a physical game. You still have to deal with the pressures of playing the position, which I think the best quarterbacks embrace that pressure and kind of flourish in it. And I think that he’s got something about him that kind of feels comfortable in that arena of a real game.”
No one will mistake Rice’s defense for the Steel Curtain. Still, Thompson exuded the sort of poise and savvy that’s now become familiar in those few instances of pressure and chaos.
Texas (2-1) converted on seven of 10 third downs against Rice, with Thompson’s arm responsible for three first-down pickups on four throws. Thompson also rifled a pass into the chest of Xavier Worthy on a fourth-and-3, a reception that went for 31 yards after the wiggly freshman wideout escaped a few tacklers.
Like Sarkisian said in the aftermath of the win over Rice, the ball just tends to move with Thompson in command of the offense. And it’s not exactly magic — the fourthyear quarterback is meticulous in his preparation, a game tape scholar who, when he has the time, can spend literally half of an entire day just digesting and dissecting footage.
“Casey is a grinder. He’s a worker,” Sarkisian said. “I think inevitably hard work pays off. And I think that all the extra little things that he does in preparation, whether it’s physical or mental, help him perform to the level of which he’s trying to perform.
“Whether it’s knowledge of where to go with a ball on a secondary read or whether to take advantage of a one-on-one opportunity in the red area or getting us to the right play or the right protection, I think all those things add up to, when you put in the work, when opportunity presents itself, you can take advantage of it. And that’s kind of what he’s doing.”
Just ask Thompson’s teammates about his understated confidence, and they’ll go wide-eyed. That inner faith is genuine, and it spreads.
Thompson even gets a little prophetic with it. Moments before Bijan Robinson dusted Rice on a 62yard touchdown run off an inside zone run, Thompson told the sophomore tailback he’d be in the end zone within a few seconds of the snap.
“I don’t try to lie to my teammates,” Thompson said Monday. “But just knowing the game plan and knowing what runs and what plays would be good against the Rice defense. And so Bijan kind of knows when certain plays are going to hit. And I think running backs and receivers know when I’m going to come to them or when I’m going to hand it off or when I’m going to throw it. Those guys do a great job with their preparation, and I try to do my best to prepare and watch film with those guys as well.”
Thompson will start again this Saturday against Texas Tech (3-0) at Royal-Memorial Stadium. Sarkisian said he’d like to get redshirt freshman Hudson Card into the game at some point — Card led two late drives against Rice — while acknowledging that “every flow of every game is different.”
The Red Raiders lead the Big 12 with five interceptions and two return touchdowns this season and rank third in pass-efficiency defense. But with the ever-prepared Thompson at the helm, the Longhorns have an opportunity to begin conference play 1-0 with consecutive games at TCU (2-0) and against No. 4 Oklahoma (3-0) looming.
“It comes from the fact that I’ve been playing football since I was 4 years old,” Thompson said of his on-field composure.
“So I’m very comfortable in the environment. I’ve been playing quarterback for a long time, and like I said, I trust in my training and my preparation.”