How backup QBs have fared as starters at Texas in the Steve Sarkisian era

Quinn Ewers' shoulder injury means Steve Sarkisian will once again look for a backup quarterback to step into the shoes of a starter on Saturday.

Since taking over at Texas in 2021, Sarkisian has found himself in this same situation each season either due to injury or the coaching staff deciding to bench the previous week's starter. The back-and-forth has seen these quarterbacks come and go in a competitive landscape driven by talent and a transfer portal.

Here's a look back at how play and injuries impacted those players and the Longhorns.

Casey Thompson was first Texas backup QB to start under Steve Sarkisian

In Sarkisian's first season, Hudson Card was named the starter heading out of preseason camp and led Texas to a season-opening 38-18 victory over No. 23 Louisiana. But the following week, the No. 15 Longhorns were upset by former rival Arkansas in Fayetteville, 40-21.

Texas was shut out in the first half, and by the last drive of the third quarter, Sarkisian made a quarterback change when the Longhorns were down 33-7 after Card went 8-for-15 on his passing, throwing for just 61 yards. He threw no touchdowns.

Dig deeper: Quinn Ewers listed as 'week-to-week' on Texas injury report ahead of BYU football game

Casey Thompson entered the game and went 5-for-8 for 57 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns. He returned in the starting role the following week, a 58-0 blowout win vs. Rice. Thompson went 15-of-18 and threw for 164 yards. He threw two touchdowns and one interception while running backs Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson accounted for four scores and more than 200 yards of combined rushing.

Casey Thompson transfers after historically bad Texas football season

Thompson would start for the rest of the 2021 season, but Card still saw playing time. Thompson was benched in the first quarter against Iowa state after starting out just 2-of-6 for 2 yards. The 30-7 loss was the fourth in a row for the Longhorns, but their woes didn't end there.

Thompson and Texas were upset in overtime against Kansas in a game in which Card played two series. The next week against West Virginia, Card came in during the second half. The Longhorns needed a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to force overtime. But with just 30 seconds left, Thompson entered and threw an incomplete pass. Card then replaced him and saw the same fate on the last three downs. The 31-23 loss was a record sixth straight for the program.

Thompson managed to secure another victory as a starter during the team's final game of the season against Kansas State, 22-17.

In total, Thompson went 4-6 as a starter for the Longhorns. He transferred to Nebraska the following year and currently plays for Florida Atlantic.

Quinn Ewers injury saw Hudson Card return as Texas' QB1

A transfer from Ohio State, Ewers was the starter for the 2022 season. But in just his second game, a big hit from Alabama's Dallas Turner sidelined him (a sprained collarbone) and Card stepped in. The Longhorns' starter from a year earlier went 14-of-22, throwing for 158 yards.

The Longhorns lost 20-19 to the top-ranked team in the country after a last field goal sealed the victory for the Crimson Tide.

With Ewers out, Card played three games as the starter. He went 2-1 with wins against UTSA and West Virginia and an overtime loss against Texas Tech. He performed best in his final game as a starter, going 21-of-27 on passing, throwing for more than 300 yards and three touchdowns.

Ewers returned in the starting role in time for the Red River Rivalry and secured the program's most lopsided victory against Oklahoma, 49-0. Card transferred to Purdue at the end of the season.

Maalik Murphy stepped in as Texas QB after Quinn Ewers injury

Ewers helped lead Texas to a win over Alabama in the second game and all the way to the No. 3 ranking before a narrow loss against Oklahoma this season. In seven games, Ewers was 6-1 as a starter, including last Saturday's 31-24 victory at Houston when he suffered a shoulder injury.

Maalik Murphy stepped in, going 1-of-2 and passing for 7 yards and helped guide Texas to a game-winning fourth-quarter touchdown. He'll undoubtedly get more reps against BYU unless Sarkisian choses freshman Arch Manning instead.

More: Could Arch Manning play for Texas football Saturday? What would that mean for his future?

BYU playing third straight with backup in starting QB role

The Cougars are 1-1 against their last two opponents who each faced similar situations.

TCU played Josh Hoover against BYU after Chandler Morris sprained his MCL in his left knee against Iowa State. BYU lost that game 44-11. And last week, Texas Tech's Jake Strong stepped in after Tyler Shough suffered a fractured fibula against West Virginia. BYU bounced back with a 27-14 win.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: How backups do as starting QBs for Texas football under Steve Sarkisian