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Casey Thompson reveals the hardest part about playing quarterback

20200517_134556by:Justin Rudolph10/14/22
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LINCOLN, NE - SEPTEMBER 17: Wide receiver Alante Brown #4 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers and running back Ajay Allen #9 and quarterback Casey Thompson #11 look to the sidelines before a play against the Oklahoma Sooners at Memorial Stadium on September 17, 2022 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)

Casey Thompson is in the middle of his second year as a starting quarterback in college football and his first year leading the Nebraska Cornhuskers. So it would be safe to assume that he is familiar with the difficulties of playing the position at this level. And during a recent press conference, Thompson divulged what he believes is the hardest part about playing quarterback.

“Yeah, that’s the hardest part about playing quarterback — just immediate pressure right in your face,” said Thompson. “I mean, you can imagine these guys are well over 6-foot anywhere from 250 to 330 pounds. And they’re in your face, and you’re having to make reads down the field, still being able to see your receivers, still being able to read the coverages. And it just makes it very difficult, obviously, when you get pressure on the quarterback.

“Looking at it, I had two interceptions; one of them was a bad read, as I took a hit. So, I wasn’t able to fully step into my throw… The second time, I got pressure from the right side, and I was throwing it to Oliver… my arm got hit as I threw it. So, the ball ended up clapping in the air, and the DB picked it off and started a pep rally for Rutgers.”

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Against Rutgers, Thompson struggled early on, throwing two first-half interceptions. Nebraska went into the half trailing 13-0. But in the second half, Thompson and the offense found their rhythm and success against the Scarlet Knights’ defense. They scored two touchdowns in the second half. That would be all they would need, as they won 14-13.

Rutgers applied relentless pressure on Thompson in the first half. Still, the Cornhuskers quarterback knew a decrease in the onslaught was on the way, as he further explained.

“The main thing was just trying to stay positive, and I knew at some point they had to slow down the rush. Because usually, defensive linemen they’re not skill players, and they usually aren’t as in shape,” said Thompson. “So I knew at some point they would slow down a little bit. You could see a difference in the third quarter; they started to slow down the pass rush.

“We only took one sack, fortunately, because I’m getting the ball out. But I had a lot of pressure. It ended up being a high number; higher than we want to be. We gotta get that number down, of course, and the staff is working hard in doing that. But that was the main thing, just trying to stay positive and stay in rhythm.”

Up next for Nebraska is a showdown with a tough Purdue team. The Boilermakers enter the game with a 4-2 record. Both are tied with Illinois for first in the Big Ten West. If Thompson can handle the pressure on Saturday and make the correct reads, the Cornhuskers will pick up their fourth win of the season, eclipsing last year’s three-win total.