Purdue Football: Breaking Down Quarterback Hudson Card's Starts at Texas
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Purdue football program and new head coach Ryan Walters got a huge addition to their offense ahead of the 2023 season, plucking Texas quarterback Hudson Card from the transfer portal.
The next chapter. #boilerup 🚂 pic.twitter.com/2WAlqniWgQ
— Hudson Card (@Hcard7) December 27, 2022
The native of Austin, Texas, is a former four-star recruit out of Lake Travis High School. In his three years with the Longhorns, Card has appeared in 22 games with five starts but spent the majority of his time as a backup to three different starting quarterbacks.
Card has completed 65.5% of his passes while throwing for 1,523 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions during his career and figures to be the top option under center for Purdue.
He started two games as a redshirt freshman in 2021 before stepping in for an injured Quinn Ewers this season against Alabama on Sept. 10, accounting for 158 yards passing in a narrow 20-19 loss. Card then made three consecutive starts and led Texas to two victories, aiding in the team's 8-4 overall record in 2022.
Here's a look at every game Card has started throughout his career, and what the Boilermakers could expect from him next season:
Sept. 4, 2021: No. 21 Texas 38, No. 23 Louisiana 18
Card earned his first career start in the Longhorns' 2021 season opener, a ranked matchup against the Ragin' Cajuns. After both offenses went three and out to start the game, Texas responded to a Louisiana field goal with an 11-play, 70-yard touchdown drive.
Facing fourth down from the opposing 40-yard line, Card was flushed to his right and ran out of bounds at the line to gain, moving the chains for the Longhorns. He completed just two passes on the drive, both to star running back Bijan Robinson.
Card capped the possession with an easy swing pass to Robinson, who went 18 yards untouched into the end zone to take a 7-3 lead. Following a missed field goal, Texas scored touchdowns on its next four drives.
The Longhorns put up 435 total yards of offense in the contest, and Card completed 14 of his 21 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns. He found tight end Cade Brewer for a six-yard score before the end of the first half.
Card completed seven passes for first downs, including a 41-yard connection to wide receiver Jordan Whittington on third-and-12. He also added a touchdown run on a read option from the 3-yard line, giving Texas a 28-12 lead before Casey Thompson entered the game at quarterback in the fourth quarter.
Sept. 11, 2021: Arkansas 40, No. 15 Texas 21
Following an impressive performance in the first week of the season, Card made his second straight start for Texas as the team went on the road against Arkansas. But the second-year quarterback was unable to replicate the same success.
The Longhorns opened the matchup with four three-and-outs and a missed field goal in their first five possessions. Card had an opportunity to get the team on the board early in the second quarter, launching a pass into the end zone while on the move that fell through the hands of Whittington. The Razorbacks took advantage of the missed opportunities and took a 16-0 lead into halftime.
Card finished the game by completing just eight passes for 61 yards passing while also contributing 14 yards on the ground. His afternoon was highlighted by a trio of third-down conversions but was benched in favor of Thompson before the final drive of the third quarter after being stripped on an attempted pass.
Thompson led Texas on two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, and both were capped by his own rushing scores. Card served the rest of the season serving as the backup to Thompson during the 2021 season.
The Longhorns started the year with a 4-1 record before suffering six straight losses. Card posted game-high passing numbers in defeats at the hands of Iowa State and West Virginia.
Sept. 17, 2022: No. 21 Texas 41, UTSA 20
Following Ewers' injury against Alabama in the second week of the season, Card got the nod and helped Texas to a dominant victory against UTSA. Despite dealing with an ankle injury of his own, he completed 15 of his 23 passes for 161 yards and one touchdown while adding a 34-yard scamper on the ground.
Card executed several short-yardage throws to get the Longhorns their first touchdown of the game early in the second quarter. Rolling to his right, he completed to running back Roschon Johnson from 11 yards out.
UTSA jumped ahead to an early 17-7 lead but was forced to swallow a heavy dose of Robinson in the run game as Texas roared back for a 21-point victory.
Card seldom completed deep shots down the field in the win. His longest throw of the afternoon came on a 26-yard completion to Whittington in the third quarter. The majority of Card's yards through the air came on screens and swing passes out of the backfield.
In the fourth quarter, he gashed the Roadrunners' defense by running through the middle of the field on second-and-22, crossing midfield and picking up the first down. The burst was the longest of his career and set up Robinson's second of three touchdown runs in the matchup.
Sept. 24, 2022: Texas Tech 37, No. 22 Texas 34 (OT)
Facing off against an in-state rival, Card and the Texas offensive reached the end zone quickly, needing just three plays to go 62 yards for a score to open the game. He completed two passes on the opening drive for a combined 57 yards, capped by a 35-yard touchdown strike to running back Keilan Robinson.
The Longhorns and Red Raiders each scored on their first two possessions, but that was before Card threw his only interception of the year. He fired deep down the left sideline intended for wide receiver Casey Cain.
Card's throw sailed over the head of Cain and was picked by a Texas Tech defensive back before being returned to the 45-yard line. The Red Raiders would go three-and-out on the subsequent possession, and Card bounced back by orchestrating a six-play, 69-yard touchdown drive to take a 17-14 lead in the second quarter.
He tossed his second touchdown of the contest to cap the possession, finding receiver Xavier Worthy wide-open down the field from 39 yards out. To make the play, Card evaded pressure by stepping up into the pocket and launching an off-platform throw while fading to his right side.
Texas led 24-14 at halftime after another rushing touchdown but only managed 10 points in the second half as Texas Tech surged on offense to take the lead. The Longhorns turned the ball over on downs to open the third quarter and later punted on three straight drives.
However, down by three points with 21 seconds to play, Card completed three straight passes to get Texas to the Texas Tech 29-yard line for the game-tying field goal with no time left in regulation.
Robinson went on to fumble on the first play of overtime, and the Red Raiders won the game with a 20-yard field goal despite a miraculous series to end the fourth quarter. Card tallied 277 yards passing by completing 20 of his 30 passes in the road loss.
Oct. 1, 2022: Texas 38, West Virginia 20
In what ended up being his final start with the Longhorns, Card put up a career performance to lead the team to a victory over the Mountaineers at home. He threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover in the win.
After punting on its first possession, Texas went on to score five straight touchdowns to take a 28-point lead early in the third quarter. Card put together a 60-yard drive to open the scoring, capped by a 15-yard pass to Worthy in the face of pressure.
Worthy led the team with seven catches for 119 yards receiving and was one of six different receivers to catch a pass. Card managed the pocket all game long, keeping his eyes downfield without being afraid to test the West Virginia secondary down the field.
Card completed 21 of his 27 passes, which included a pair of touchdowns in the first half. The Longhorns took a 28-7 lead into the locker room before Card found Worthy for a 44-yard strike to open the third quarter. He evaded the pass rush to the left side of the field and pulled the trigger despite double coverage in the end zone.
It was a throw that probably should have been intercepted by West Virginia, but Card got just enough air underneath the football for it to ricochet off the fingertips of the defense and into the waiting arms of his receiver.
Card added a 17-yard scramble on third down in the fourth quarter to spark a 10-play, 48-yard drive that ended in a field goal. Texas ran out the clock on its final possession to claim an 18-point victory.
After three games as the starting quarterback, Card brought the Longhorns to a 3-2 record. Ewers returned to action the following week, and Texas finished the regular season by winning five of its last seven games.
Assessment
In five starts, Card demonstrated a quick release and solid feel for the pocket. Despite being rated as the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the 2020 recruiting class, he has only rushed 47 times for 74 yards on the ground and one touchdown in three seasons at Texas.
As a redshirt freshman in 2021, Card took advantage of his mobility to escape the pocket and often kept his eyes down the field in search of open receivers. However, when faced with substantial pressure, he struggled to get the ball out of his hands on time and was sacked 10 times in eight appearances.
After returning to the program behind Ewers as a sophomore in 2022, the Longhorns executed an already run-heavy scheme with Card under center. The offense maintained simplicity through the air early on by utilizing screens and short passes behind the guise of misdirection before the snap.
But after working through an ankle sprain, Card's ability to extend the play began to stand out in his three starts this season. He was able to effectively throw on the run rolling to his right or left but was subject to forcing plays down the field at times. Fortunately for the Longhorns, his decisions were never catastrophic, and he was intercepted on just two of his 194 attempts.
At Purdue, Card will unite with new offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, a former quarterback who was on the opposing sideline this year when Texas downed West Virginia. Together, the two will look to sustain a potent passing attack while taking advantage of Card's ability to make plays with his legs.
Like Card, Harrell is a native of Texas. He spent four years at Texas Tech and holds the NCAA record for most passes completed in a single season, which was set in 2007 with 512 completions.
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.