Steve Sarkisian compliments Casey Thompson's preparation, could use two quarterbacks vs. Texas Tech

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian decided after the Longhorns’ 40-21 loss to Arkansas that it was time for a change, as he replaced then-starter Hudson Card with Casey Thompson at quarterback.

Card, who started the first two games, led Texas to a win over Louisiana-Lafayette but struggled against Arkansas, completing eight of 16 passing attempts for 61 yards and no touchdowns. Card was sacked three times in that game, too, prompting Sarkisian to give Thompson, a redshirt junior, the green light.

So far, so good — although Thompson and the Longhorns faced the lowly Rice Owls, Thompson still got the job done, completing 15 of his 18 passing attempts for 164 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a 58-0 rout. Ahead of Texas’ first conference matchup with Texas Tech on Saturday, Sarkisian addressed the quarterback evaluation process, and he complimented Thompson for his preparation.

“I think Casey is a classic example of his level of play continuing to rise based on the arena that he’s in,” Sarkisian said. “That’s a really cool quality to have, because we don’t play quarterback in a T-shirt 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.”

Thompson is a gamer, ‘grinder’

Sarkisian said he’d label Thompson as a “gamer” because of his ability to rise above each challenge. The first-year Texas coach expressed a level of trust with the junior quarterback, who in his first career performance accomplished all that was asked.

“Casey is a grinder, he’s a worker,” Sarkisian continued, complimenting Thompson’s attention to detail as it pertains to watching film and preparing for an opponent. “Whether it’s knowledge of where to go with the 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 of those things add up to — when you put in the work — when the opportunity presents itself, you can take advantage of it.”

Thompson will remain the Longhorns’ starting quarterback on Saturday, Sarkisian confirmed, but Texas fans should expect to see more from Card, the redshirt senior from Austin, Texas.

“Casey’s gonna [start] Saturday,” Sarkisian said, continuing, “ideally, I would love to play Hudson Saturday as well. But every flow of every game is different… If we feel like Hudson can provide an opportunity to get in the game, like he can provide something for our team, we’ll definitely get him in there.”