Texas QB Hudson Card Delivers One More Time In Win Over West Virginia
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If Saturday marked Hudson Card's final start as a member of the Texas Longhorns, he went out with style.
Good, he's earned that much after two long years of turmoil in Austin.
Barring a last-second setback entering Saturday's matchup with Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown, redshirt freshman Quinn Ewers will be back as QB1. Card will return to his backup role, and Texas might be trending toward being front-runners in the Big 12.
But on Saturday, Card dealt his hand. It was as close to a Royal Flush that Texas (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) coach Steve Sarkisian could ask for en route to a 38-20 win over West Virginia (2-3, 0-2 Big 12) in a packed Royal-Memorial Stadium. Every throw had a purpose. Every decision was calculated.
And Card? He left DRK content. That's enough for now after a downtrodden loss the week prior against Texas Tech.
“I just love the way that our team played in coming back after a tough loss,” Sarkisian said Saturday night. “It’s never easy to get back on the horse and start riding again when you fall off, and clearly, last week we did. But our guys really responded.”
Card had the game of his career. From his first pass — an 11-yard completion to tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders — to his final touchdown, the Austin native played his heart out. He found Xavier Worthy for a 15-yard score in the first quarter. He connected with Sanders for a 13-yard touchdown to make it 28-0 in the second quarter.
Card did what most backups are asked to do. He completed passes, kept the chains moving, and didn't record a turnover. Along the way, he hit career-highs in completion percentage (77.8), passing yards (303), and passing touchdowns (three).
"Every game you kind of grow,” Card said of his outing. “But credit to the coaches for putting in a plan that was really solid. And obviously, the players around me executed really well and made me look good on some of those plays.”
Card finished 21-of-27 on the night. He averaged 11.2 yards per throw and delivered on several highlight throws. His final touchdown — a 44-yard pass to Worthy — was a culmination of what Texas can be when it's clicking offensively.
Was the ball thrown into double coverage? Yes. Did Card also step into the throw and evade the pressure from the Mountaineers' front seven? Also yes.
"[Hudson] has earned a lot of respect, even more than he’s had," Sarkisian said. "To me and to our team, it doesn’t feel like we’re playing with a backup. Hudson’s a really good player. We’re very fortunate that he is the guy right now for us.”
Outside of a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, Texas controlled the game. The Longhorns held quarterback JT Daniels to 253 yards passing a touchdown. They all but eliminated the Mountaineers' run game, holding them to 64 yards on 30 carries.
More than anything, Texas proved it's down, but not out. Ewers gives the Horns their best chance to win a conference title, but Card can keep the offense alive. Last week, his three passes set up a 45-yard field goal from Bert Auburn to send the game into overtime.
Against Alabama in Week 2, Card tallied three scoring drives to keep Texas ahead. A stop on quarterback Bryce Young with under a minute left, perhaps the Horns are 4-1 heading to the Cotton Bowl next Saturday? A few stops in Lubbock, and maybe Texas is 5-0?
Card, who elected to stay with the program following a 5-7, did his job. He kept the offense afloat and gave a cushion for the defense to make mistakes. When called upon, he delivered, just like a capable quarterback should.
There's still half of a season to be played. Goodbyes or farewells aren't until January for those who elect to transfer.
Perhaps Card takes his skills elsewhere? Maybe he bets on himself and returns to the Forty Acres for a shot at starting reps against Ewers and 2023 commit Arch Manning?
But if Saturday was a farewell outing, Card exited the stage with a standing ovation, and one hell of an ending.
"You’re gonna be faced with some adversity throughout the season," Card said. "And, you know, it’s up to us to respond in the correct way. And I think our guys came up came to work this week."
You can follow Cole Thompson on Twitter @MrColeThompson
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