Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said first-year red-shirt Hudson Card quarterback will begin the Longhorns ’season opener against Louisiana’s No. 23, but Casey Thompson will also play there.
Sarkisian added that he will re-evaluate the competition for permanent Texas initial work after the first week.
“Neither of them has ever started a game in their career, so we’ll look at that after a week,” Sarkisian said Monday. “But the good part for both of us is that I think we’re improving as an offense.”
Sarkisian refused to say whether Card had secured the job permanently.
“It will start against Louisiana,” Sarkisian said. “Casey will play. When, how much, I’m not exactly sure. I think there has to be a feeling in the game. Hudson has earned the right to be a starter, but somewhere in that game, Casey will get his chances. as well. “
Card, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound Austin native from Lake Travis High School, ranked No. 40 in the ESPN300 by 2020. He beat Thompson, a junior who had a four-touchdown performance outside from the bench in relief of an injured Sam Ehlinger in last season’s Alamo Bowl victory over Colorado.
Card has attempted just three passes in two appearances in Texas.
The race for the starting job was tight, with Sarkisian initially expressing his displeasure at the mistakes of the two quarterbacks in the Longhorns ’first fight. After the second fight on August 21, Sarkisian said he was encouraged by his progress.
“Hudson is a very talented young man and he has a great work ethic, he really tries to operate the way we want to operate,” Sarkisian said. “Like I told Casey, it’s not really a blow to Casey. The two guys started working really well after that first handshake, and it was a tough call.”
The Longhorns, ranked 21st, open Saturday at home against the Ragin ‘Cajuns in their first opening game as a ranked team against a ranked opponent since 1984, when Texas’ No. 4 beat No. 11 ‘Auburn for 35-27.