WATCH: Texas Longhorns QB Maalik Murphy Tosses First-Career TD Pass vs. BYU Cougars

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AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas Longhorns quarterback Maalik Murphy is making his first-career collegiate start on Saturday against the BYU Cougars in Austin.
And in place of the injured Quinn Ewers, Murphy started off a bit rocky with a pair of turnovers, but made up for it late in the first half with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Adonai Mitchell to give Texas a 21-3 lead headed into halftime.
Murphy finished the first half 10 of 15 passing for 103 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Take a look at the toucdown:
Droppin' dimes 😤 @MoCityMitch @SmvOperator pic.twitter.com/17EEpWyhBN
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) October 28, 2023
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has continued to praise Murphy, and said previously that "there's not a throw that he can't make."
“Maalik’s a natural passer,” Sarkisian said. “He throws a very beautiful ball. I think there’s not a throw that he can’t make. I think he’s got very good leadership qualities. I think the guys like playing with Maalik and that’s a positive as a quarterback. As a quarterback, you’re only as good as the guys around you.”
While Murphy's skill level has been on display in front of his teammates at practice, Texas linebacker Jaylan Ford says that there's a "swag" to him as well.
"That's that Cali swag," Ford said Monday when referring to Murphy's West Coast music choice in the locker room. "I keep saying that swag. I think for Maalik, he has a ton of confidence. I don't think people understand, especially at quarterback, the ability to not let one bad play or even a couple bad plays really kind of affect how he's going to finish the game."
Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7
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