Assessing Maalik Murphy's Oregon State Debut

Welcome to a new series where on a weekly basis, we'll break down how Oregon State's starting quarterback performed over the weekend. Come back later this week for a breakdown of the next opposing quarterback on the schedule for the Beavs.

GAME NOTES 

STAT LINE: 21/33 (64%) 244 yards, 1 INT | 15 yards rushing, 1 TD

Despite a tough night for the Oregon State offense—struggling to maintain rhythm and finish drives—Maalik Murphy proved on multiple occasions to be exactly what was asked of him. He played with a strong base in the pocket all night and was able to complete passes all over the field: downfield, across the opposite hash, and into tight windows, showcasing the special arm strength that was so evident last season at Duke. Check out multiple examples of these throws at the following marks in the video linked below: 3:00, 5:33, 10:40, and 10:52. He even showed he could create with his legs, scoring on a nifty touchdown scramble in the fourth quarter when the play broke down (15:33 mark in the video below). Despite a costly fourth-quarter interception, Murphy still showed plenty of signs that he’s the right man to lead this offense as it works to find rhythm early in the season after the usual Week 1 inconsistencies and hiccups.

BEST PLAY BREAKDOWN

At the 10:52 mark in the video, the play dialed up is a seven-man protection play-action pass with a throwback concept. That means one of the receivers runs across the formation, then vertically upfield in the opposite direction of where the quarterback is rolling after the fake. Once Murphy executes the play-action and sets up after the short rollout, he delivers a 29-yard strike. What stands out is the fact that Murphy threw this ball on a rope with significant velocity while a Cal defender was in his face—executing the throw off balance and still delivering it with precision.