Thanks to three straight impressive performances, Duke quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] keeps working his way toward the top of the conference.
ACC Network’s Tom Luginbill ranked Murphy as the seventh-best ACC quarterback on Wednesday through Week 12.
Murphy started his conference schedule with three straight games underneath 210 passing yards, but he’s thrown for 865 yards and eight touchdowns in his last three games. He helped Duke take SMU to overtime, the closest the Mustangs have come to an ACC loss this season, with three touchdowns in Week 9 before putting together his first 300-yard performance against Miami one week later.
The former Texas Longhorn has thrown 22 touchdowns this season, fourth among ACC quarterbacks and two short of Duke’s single-season school record. He’s also protected the football better since Week 4. Outside of a four-turnover game against Miami, he’s thrown one interception since September 21.
Luginbill predictably put Miami star Cam Ward in the top spot, where the Heisman Trophy candidate has spent much of the season thanks to his 3,494 yards and 32 touchdowns. SMU’s Kevin Jennings, Cade Klubnik of the Clemson Tigers, and Syracuse’s Kyle McCord took the next three spots in order.