Steve Sarkisian explains his logic behind playing both Hudson cards, Casey Thompson

There’s that old cliché saying that goes around, if you have two quarter builders, you don’t have any.

There was some concern that the saying might turn out to come true when the Texas Longhorns come in for the 2021 season, when first-year head coach Steve Sarkisian announced his red-haired freshman Hudson Card as a novice, but added that junior Casey Thompson will also play in the Texas season opener in Louisiana.

The card began and Thompson played as promised, but it didn’t resemble Tom Hermans ’strategy between alternating sets between Shane Buechele and Sam Ehlinger as he tried to solidify the starter, or anything else that could cause unnecessary, constant controversy over the position of quarterback. The card began and remained behind the center until hed guided Texas to a pretty nice, 28-12 edge, making 14/21 passes to 224 yards and a total of three touches along the way before trading with Thompson at the end of the third quarter.

But why didn’t Sark wait until Texas was fully in control before making the change?

I thought it was good to get Casey there and get him real plays, and he played well, Sark said of Thompson, who led two goals and scored 4/5 passes at 41 yards and a touch. Getting such expanded drives the same way he did, I think he got three sets, was really good for him. I think he worked really well.

The key to him is the same in-game, live replays in our system, Sark added. I’ve been saying this all the time that it’s a real luxury.

So the purpose of Sarks is to change the old cliché essentially so that if you have two defenders, you have two.

To that end, Sark pondered how Alabamas Nick Saban ultimately benefited from wanting to take advantage of Tua Tagovailo behind Jale Hurts in 2017.

I even thought back with coach Saban in Alabama when Jalen was a beginner and Tua got there for the first time, Sark said. He always considered it important to get Tuan in the game to make sure he was ready, and in the end it cost him what set him up for the second half of the national championship.

Of course, Tagovailoa delivered a touchdown pass that won the QB2 game to achieve the Bamas National Championship in Georgia in 2018. The following season, when the roles were reversed, Saban did much the same with Hurts and helped the net rise in the SEC title.

Sure, here’s the SEC Championship game. He puts Jalen in and Jalen goes and wins the championship for him, Sarkisian said.

More or less, it Sarks is going to get not just one, but two qualified defenders who may be ready to go out and win the game and maybe the championship if the need arises.

You need to make sure the backup is ready to play when his number is called at these critical moments, so keep up the same path with Casey.

The card is QB1, and there shouldn’t be much questions about it right now after his debut against Louisiana. But in the meantime, Texas needs Thompson to stay ready to play because Sark is going to play him.