Mickey Joseph announces QB Casey Thompson is out vs Michigan

Mickey Joseph knew defeating Michigan would be a tall task already, but it just became even more complicated for Nebraska.

According to the Cornhuskers coach on Thursday, quarterback Casey Thompson will miss the game.

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“Casey Thompson is officially out for Nebraska’s game at Michigan,” tweeted Robin Washut of Husker Online. “Mickey Joseph did not announce NU’s starter on Thursday.”

While Joseph didn’t name a starting quarterback just yet, he detailed the strengths of both of his backup signal callers while speaking with the media earlier this week.

“We think (Chubba) Purdy is the better thrower, but Logan (Smothers), he can make throws also,” stated Joseph. “We think Logan’s the better runner. It happens like that. Each quarterback is going to have different strengths and weaknesses.”

Still, without Thompson, the Cornhuskers’ offense has struggled to move the ball. Neither Purdy nor Smothers has looked great in the passing game on the season.

Thus far, the two have combined for 22 completions on 47 attempts for 172 passing yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions.

Alas, expect a lot of rushing attempts for Nebraska, as Joseph explained on Thursday that the Cornhuskers will be looking towards their backfield to minimize the loss.

“The #1 thing we gotta do, we gotta be able to hand the ball off,” added Joseph. “Hand the ball off. Slow it down. That’s what we gotta do.”

As you can see, with Casey Thompson not being able to go on Saturday, the Cornhuskers’ gameplan may be severely compromised and limited. Against a Michigan defense ranked in the top five in the country in most defensive categories, that will make for a long day for Mickey Joseph and company.

Time will tell if they can pull a massive upset, but it’ll be a fascinating situation to keep an eye on.