Maalik Murphy enters game for Texas in season opener vs. Rice

Quinn Ewers did his job against Rice. A shaky offensive first half for Texas will quickly be forgotten after being productive in the third quarter. Heading into the final period with a huge head against the Owls, the Longhorns are now going to have the opportunity to put a few backups in.

One of those is backup quarterback Maalik Murphy, getting to replace Ewers in the fourth quarter. Murphy has been battling against freshman Arch Manning throughout fall camp to truly earn the backup role when called upon. Nothing is definite based on Saturday but Murphy was the first one to get the nod in garbage time.

At the beginning of the week, head coach Steve Sarkisian would not reveal his cards as to who won the backup job. He claims the decision would come on Thursday but it was never revealed to the public.

“Maalik and Arch right now, you know they’re both doing well and so you know, who do we feel like come Thursday is the guy that kind of earned that opportunity to be the backup this week? That’ll be who the backup is,” Sarkisian said on Monday.

Murphy may have entered the game but the competition will not cease either. When talking about experience, Murphy definitely has the advantage. Manning will still have an impression to turn heads as practice rolls on in Austin.

Either way, good to see Sarkisian give Murphy legitimate game reps in the fourth quarter against Rice.

Maalik Murphy could come into play for Texas

While there usually is not too much talk about the backup quarterback, turning to a new guy has been a theme for Steve Sarkisian while at Texas. During the 2021 season, Hudson Card missed time with an injury before Casey Thompson took over. The reverse happened as well, with both guys having issues.

And then everyone remembers Ewers going down against Alabama with a shoulder injury. It lasted longer than that game too, missing the next few games. He finally made his return against Oklahoma and watched Card have more time as the starter.

The goal is to keep Ewers healthy for the entire regular season. Texas needs some consistency at the position and expects Ewers to have a big season. But in the case of another health problem, Sarkisian will have a decision to make on the replacement.

Apparently, if the situation arises, advantage Murphy at the moment.