No. 7 Texas found a way to escape with a victory over No. 23 Kansas State, 33-30.
Saturday’s game reinforced that there is no quarterback controversy in Austin. Quinn Ewers is the clear starter once he fully recovers from a shoulder injury. Maalik Murphy started the last two games in place of Ewers, but unfortunately, Murphy didn’t perform very well.
Murphy started on fire against Kansas State, throwing for over 170 passing yards and a touchdown in the first quarter. He led the offense down the field with a purpose and displayed minimal inaccuracy.
He then missed wide open throws and ended the game with two interceptions, although it could have easily been more. Murphy has now accounted for four turnovers in his two starts for Texas, as he lost a fumble and threw one interception against BYU the week prior.
It’s unclear if Steve Sarkisian will give freshman Arch Manning playing time if Ewers is unable to start against TCU next week. Many fans were hopeful Manning would take the field during the second half of the Kansas State game due to Murphy’s clear struggles.
Despite Murphy’s poor performance, the Longhorns defense came up big when it mattered and still have hope for the College Football Playoff.