It was reported that Casey Thompson will be the starting quarterback for the Nebraska Cornhuskers in their week 0 game against Northwestern in Dublin, Ireland. Thompson, the 23-year-old Texas transfer, will have a lot of pressure on him to help revive a starving program. Thompson will replace longtime starter Adrian Martinez who transferred to Kansas State. It has been five years since Nebraska football had a winning season, dating back to 2016 when they finished 9-4 (6-3 in the Big Ten) and lost to Tennessee in the Music City Bowl. Casey Thompson and head coach Scott Frost will both the keys to look at this season.
When and where to watch the week 0 game between Nebraska & Northwestern:
*Saturday August 27th: 12:30 EST (FOX)
Casey Thompson:
After two years serving as Sam Ehlingers backup at Texas, Thompson looked in place to start at quarterback. Thompson competed with Hudson Card for the starting role and Card ended up winning the position, getting named week one starter. After a 40-21 week two blowout loss to Arkansas, Casey Thompson got the starting nod against Rice. In his first college start, Thompson threw for 164 yards-2 touchdowns-1 interception on 15/18 passing in a 59-0 win over Rice.
Week four saw Thompson throw for 5 touchdowns while also rushing for another in a 70-35 drubbing of in-state rival Texas Tech:
- It was the first time since 2005 that the Texas Longhorns scored 70 points in a game. The last coming when Texas defeated Colorado 70-3 in the Big 12 Championship Game.
He also managed to throw 5 touchdowns in one of the craziest games of the entire college football season, a 55-48 loss to rival Oklahoma:
Full game highlights for Texas vs Oklahoma 2021 here:
Respectable Season:
Thompson would finish the season with 2,113 passing yards, 28 touchdowns (24 passing, 4 rushing), and 9 interceptions in 12 games played.
New Beginning:
When asked about transferring to Nebraska, Thompson said he felt it was time for a change. He is also thrilled about going to Nebraska and trying to help get that program back to where it expects to be.
Scott Frost:
Already on the hot seat, an improved season is a must for Scott Frost and the Nebraska program. Frost’s contract is set to expire December 2026, but another rough season could see the program turn to a buyout and look for a new head man. Back in November 2021, details came out how Frosts contract was being reduced. Under the new terms, Frost’s salary would go from $5 million to $4 million. The contract is eligible to go back up to $5 million if Frost’s teams perform better. The buyout clause was reduced from $15 million to $7.5 million.
Coming back to coach his alma mater in 2018, Frost has complied a 15-29 record with a 10-25 record in the Big Ten. This also includes a 0-14 record against ranked opponents. He is the first Nebraska head coach to have four consecutive losing seasons since Bill Jennings did it from 1957-1961.
2021 Close Losses:
Finishing with a 3-9 record last season, Nebraska played opponents close.
Touchdown Losses:
- 23-16 loss to #3 Oklahoma.
- 28-21 loss to #17 Iowa.
- 35-28 loss to #19 Wisconsin.
*26-17 loss to #6 Ohio State
Field Goal Losses:
- #9 ranked Michigan needed a field goal by Jake Moody with 1:24 left in the game to win 32-29.
- #20 ranked Michigan State needed overtime to win 23-20.
Bottom Line:
Nebraska finished with a competitive 3-9 record at the end of last season. With a few bounces going their way, things could’ve been different. Frost is going to have to figure out how to tighten up late game execution as his job might be on the line. The Big Ten is only going to get more competitive with the additions of USC and UCLA. Nebraska is going to have to catch up, or they will continue to be left in the chase pack staring at the top programs. A bowl win this season could go a long way. Behind Frost and Thompson, Nebraska needs to show improvements this season. Will year five be the year Scott Frost beats a ranked opponent? We wait and see.
*The Nebraska football season starts
*Click here to read how Gridiron Heroics Thomas Henderson thinks Nebraska and the Big Ten will play out this season.
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