For 3rd straight game, BYU to face backup QB with injury to Texas' Quinn Ewers

PROVO — For the third straight game, BYU is expected to face a backup quarterback when it hits the road Saturday for its first (and only) conference matchup with No. 7 Texas.

Quinn Ewers is expected to miss "some time" with a grade-two sprain to the AC joint in his throwing shoulder, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported Sunday night, leaving the Longhorns' starting job in the hands of backups Maalik Murphy and true freshman Arch Manning through at least the BYU game.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian called Ewers' injury "week-to-week" and did not provide a timetable for his return, but noted the injury is not expected to end Ewers' season.

"You never really know exactly how bodies respond to injury, and so we're just going to have to monitor these guys on a weekly basis," said Sarkisian, also noting a similar unspecified timetable to defensive end Ethan Burke and safety Jalen Catalon. "Obviously, we're going to do everything in our power to get those guys back sooner rather than later. So we'll see how that goes."

Ewers completed 71% of his passes for 1,915 yards, 13 touchdowns and three interceptions while leading the Longhorns to a 6-1 record and a top-10 ranking. The sophomore from Southlake, Texas, has also run for five scores before his recent injury.

But Murphy finished the Longhorns' 31-24 win over Houston after Ewers was sidelined. The 6-foot-5, 238-pound redshirt freshman from Inglewood, California, completed one pass for 7 yards — his fourth completion of the year in four games — but showed promise, per Sarkisian.

"Just like in that game, guys have to step up," the Texas coach and former BYU All-American quarterback said. "In that game, Maalik had to come in, and I thought he showed great poise and composure. I know it became kind of a running game, but to handle that situation on the road, I was really proud of him."

Murphy is light on experience at the Division I level, but he signed with Texas with loads of talent and potential. The former Elite 11 finalist in 2021 was the No. 9 quarterback and No. 14 recruit overall in the state of California by 247Sports, and ranked No. 27 nationally among signal callers by On3 as a senior at Junipero Serra High, where he threw for 2,954 yards, 22 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a senior.

Most Texas recruits have promise. Murphy is no different.

"He's definitely a natural passer. When he throws the ball, he throws a beautiful ball," said Sarkisian, adding that Manning will also get "a ton of reps" through the weekend as well. "There's not a throw that he can't make. I think he's got really good leadership qualities. The guys like playing with Maalik, and that's a positive. As a quarterback, you're only as good as the guys around you ... and that's extremely helpful.

"The third piece is his understanding of what we're doing. ... I think he understands what we do, and why we do; that's another added bonus."

But for the Cougars, preparing for a new quarterback is nothing new. BYU (5-2, 2-2 Big 12) hasn't faced a quarterback who started the year as QB1 since Sept. 29, a 35-27 win over Emori Jones and Cincinnati.

Since then, TCU freshman Josh Hoover went off for a career-high 439 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions in the Horned Frogs' 44-11 win in Fort Worth; and Texas Tech backup Jake Strong threw for 236 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions in the Red Raiders' 27-14 loss in Provo after both Tyler Shough and Behren Morton were hurt.

Which trend will continue Saturday (1:30 p.m. MDT, ABC)?

"We kind of just treat every quarterback the same," said BYU defensive tackle Jackson Cravens, the Boise State grad transfer who prepped at nearby Timpview High. "I feel like at this level, most QBs are pretty good — backup or not. So we will just prep the same."

Saturday's game will be BYU's first against a ranked opponent since joining the Big 12, but comes against a familiar foe in Texas (6-1, 3-1 Big 12). The Cougars are 4-1 all-time against the Longhorns, including a 41-7 victory in Austin in 2014. BYU hung 28 points on Texas in the third quarter behind three touchdowns by quarterback Taysom Hill in that game.

But it's also a big game for Hook 'Em Nation in Texas' final year in the conference before joining the SEC in 2024. How so?

"Every game is a Big 12 championship game," Sarkisian said of the one-loss Longhorns. "Our ability to focus on us and what we need to do to play good football, to keep stacking wins, is of the utmost importance. Opinions really don't matter; we control what we can control. I think our guys understand that."

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