Casey Thompson made a huge difference
It didn’t take long for backup quarterback Casey Thompson to put his stamp on the game. In 22 snaps on offense, he generated 31 points of offense. That comes down to just 8:57 of game time on the field. The offense was never more efficient than when Thompson was running the offense. We saw it all from the dual-threat quarterback.
Ehlinger has always proven he can be a fantastic runner with the ball in his hands, but when Thompson takes off to run you see the explosiveness on his 22-yard run. When throwing the ball, you see the touch and accuracy. Thompson has the athletic ability to evade the rush and quick trigger to get the ball out before the rush can get to him. It was a night and day difference with him in the shotgun.
What a damn throw from Casey Thompson.
Thompson threw for 170 yards and 4 TDs in a quarter and some change.
Hudson Card in at QB now #HookEm pic.twitter.com/tiuf1QbHJU
— Jeff Barker (@JeffBarker_) December 30, 2020
There is still a question on if Sam Ehlinger will decide to return in 2021 but given what we saw from the backup, there needs to be a quarterback competition regardless next season. The offense just looked like they were in warp speed when No. 8 was leading the charge. Thompson tied an Alamo Bowl record with four touchdown passes in his limited time on the field. It gives the team a lot of hope heading into next season.