BYU Game Recap

QB Maalik Murphy had an up-and-down day in his first career start, filling in for the injured Quinn Ewers. Photo: Eric Gay, Associated Press

I’m not sure how exactly to feel about that game.

It’s definitely nice having mixed feelings about a game that was won 35-6 by the Longhorns…but still, there was a lot left on the table and some areas of concern as we move forward. The bottom line is the Horns are 7-1, and the Texas defense has returned. As for the rest…we’ll get to that.

Starting with the defense - they were elite all afternoon. Time after time, defensive linemen and others found themselves in the BYU backfield, resulting in numerous tackles for loss (TFLs). In fact, Texas finished the game with 12 TFLs! The pass defense was much improved as well, only allowing a couple of deep ball catches, but no touchdowns to BYU receivers. Forcing 3 turnovers also helped Texas sustain its momentum on the day and had the game never really in doubt. It’s that type of defensive led effort that can help an offense breaking in a new quarterback.

Speaking of, Maalik Murphy had a bit of a rocky beginning to his first collegiate start. Throwing a terrible interception and losing a fumble on a huge sack in the first half, things weren’t going great, to put it mildly. However, Murphy did bounce back and led a 75-yard touchdown drive capped off by a nicely floated ball to Adonai Mitchell for his first touchdown pass with the Horns. There were times when he delivered perfectly zipped passes, and other times when he would loft a ball up that looked doomed to land in a defender’s hands. Ultimately, with it being his first start and against a conference opponent, I thought Maalik performed fine and settled into the game after shaking off some early mistakes. Murphy finished the day with 170 passing yards on 16/25, throwing for 2 TDs and 1 INT to go along with the lost fumble. Definition of a mixed bag. But, it’s just the start to what we hope is a bright future for MM’s career on the Forty Acres!

Worthy made an instant impact on the game with his 75-yard punt return touchdown. Photo: Eric Christian Smith, Associated Press

Looking at some of the other bright spots from the game - how about the opening touchdown?? We saw an appearance from The Quickster himself, Xavier Worthy, as he brought back a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown.

Courtesy of Mason Hurtte

The punt return was a much needed kickstart to the game, as the offense took a while to get going. Worthy added on 4 catches for 27 yards on the day. He definitely didn’t have his best day offensively, notably dropping several passes that you’d normally think he would haul in. We’re thankful for the special teams contribution.

After the 7-0 start, both teams traded INTs - the latter by Texas to set up a drive starting inside the BYU 30. A few short plays later and Jonathon Brooks converted from 4 yards out to give the Longhorns a 14-0 advantage. The Cougars added a field goal on the drive following Murphy’s fumble, and that’s when Texas went on its 10 play drive before the half to stretch the lead to 21-3. Dominant defense and special teams cleared the way for a stress free afternoon for Horns fans.

The 3rd quarter struggles continued, however - not defensively but rather with a pair of goal-to-go situations for the offense that came up entirely empty. This offense has got to figure out a consistent way to score in the red zone. There could be real consequences in the games ahead if not.

Still, after another interception of BYU QB Kedon Slovis, this time by Michael Taaffe, Texas had been set up with another first and goal. Murphy quickly hit Adonai Mitchell for their second touchdown connection of the game. 28-6 good guys, and game effectively over. Jaydon Blue added on one more score on a 34-yard burst around the edge - after the strip sack by Texas’ defense - to add the finishing touches on the 35-6 win.

Texas 7-1 on the season and tied at the top of the Big 12 standings. Photo: Tim Warner, Getty Images

Overall, it was a thorough beatdown of an inferior, but previously 5-2, BYU squad that could have been much worse than the final score. A stiffer test with Kansas State awaits, however, and it’s going to take good performances in all 3 phases of the game for the Longhorns to get their 8th win of the year.

In Sark, and Maalik Murphy, we trust.

Final score: 35-6 Texas

Hook ‘em