Liam Thompson is 'glue' to Wabash's offense — and one of college football's best QBs
It's the first drive of the 2022 Monon Bell game, the 128th meeting between Wabash and DePauw.
The Monon Bell Game is one of college football's most historic rivalries, and Wabash quarterback Liam Thompson has put together historic numbers of his own during his career with the Little Giants, but we'll get to that later.
DePauw is sending a cornerback blitz, but Thompson recognizes it pre-snap. When the ball is snapped, Thompson evades what looked like a sure sack and keeps his eyes down field. Thompson finds wide receiver Derek Allen Jr. for a first down, keeping the drive alive.
UIndy football preview: O-line is 'keys of the car' for Greyhounds
Marian football preview: Karras hopes to take Knights 'back to the very top'
The play wasn't the most explosive of either player's season, but it represents the chemistry Thompson has with his receivers. They trust him to keep plays alive, and they're always alert and ready for him to turn a near sack into a first down.
"He's the glue to our offense," Allen Jr. said. "He's a great leader. He's just the type of guy that you want to have back there at the QB spot."
Heading into his fourth season as Wabash's starting quarterback, Thompson is ready to take his game to an even higher level.
Wabash QB is one of nation's best. Most people have no idea. The Mannings do.
"So, the leadership (aspect) is obviously huge, and another part that comes along with that is the freedom in the offense," Thompson said of the benefits of being an experienced quarterback. "I played in the same offense for three years now... So, I have a deeper knowledge having seen reps against a lot of different defenses and being able to kind of make adjustments on the field and earning that kind of trust from the coaches, in terms of me knowing what I'm doing, what I'm seeing and what I'm talking about on the field."
It's not hard to see why Thompson has the full trust of his teammates and coaches. The North Central grad is one of 30 quarterbacks selected to the Manning Award preseason watch list — and one of only two non-FBS players on the list — after throwing for 3,588 yards with 34 touchdowns to seven interceptions last season. For his career, Thompson has thrown for 8,860 yards and 79 touchdowns to just 23 interceptions. He's added 1,053 yards and 22 rushing touchdowns.
Thompson accounted for nearly 300 total yards and two touchdowns against DePauw, but the Little Giants fell to their rivals, 49-14. Accolades aside, Thompson and his teammates know winning is the most important thing heading into the 2023 season.
"Liam has been an incredible leader here for three years, but if you talk to Liam, he'll probably give himself a B- grade for last year," Wabash coach Don Morel said. "He's a tough grader on himself and knows, senior year, he wants to win every game and be productive. Nobody puts more pressure on himself than Liam."
To alleviate the pressure from the star quarterback, Morel wants to emphasize the running game. Senior running backs Cade Campbell, Donovan Synder and sophomore Xavier Tyler are all returning players. Expect a running back by committee approach, and along with some new concepts and schemes, Morel hopes to produce more big plays on the ground.
Another way to keep the pressure off the offense is with a stout defense. Senior defensive linemen Steven Thomas, Will Olive and Clay McPeek, senior linebacker Joe Rios, senior defensive backs Ben and Will Netting and junior cornerback Avery Epstein are all returning starters. They'll be tasked with playing more consistent defense and limiting the big plays. During Wabash wins, the defense allowed an average of 27 points per game. During its three losses, the defense allowed an average of 50 points per game.
"Really every game there were three or four plays where on defense we'd have a break down that would lead to a touchdown," Morel said. "We've got to eliminate the big play, number one. And do a better job of stopping the rush. I think we fix that with all the weightlifting we did last year. We are bigger and stronger, and I know those guys want to do a great job."
Improved defense will lead to more offensive possessions for the Little Giants. Having the ball in Thompson's hands as much as possible is a great strategy, one they hope will help them get revenge after last year's Bell game loss.
As he heads into his final college season, Thompson is keeping all his options open when it comes to his future. He's a strong student who's involved with numerous off-campus activities and clubs, and he interned at Eli Lilly this summer. Thompson said he's embracing the spent playing with his brother, junior receiver Connor, and wants to build on last season's seven-win campaign.
"I'm really approaching this year as an opportunity to reach some of those goals that we talked about day in and day out and be able to really finish off with a bang," Thompson said. "Go out winning a lot of games and performing to the standard of what Wabash College football is."
Wabash 2023 football schedule
Sept. 2, at Hampden-Sydney, 1 p.m.
Sept. 16, at Butler, 6 p.m.
Sept. 23, vs. Oberlin, 2 p.m.
Sept. 30, at Ohio Wesleyan, 1 p.m.
Oct. 7, vs. Wooster, 2 p.m.
Oct. 14, at Denison, 1 p.m.
Oct. 21, at Kenyon, noon
Oct. 28, vs. Wittenberg, 1 p.m.
Nov. 4, at Hiram, noon
Nov. 11, vs. DePauw, 1:07 p.m. in Monon Bell game
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Wabash football: Liam Thompson is one of college football's best QBs
