He looks effortless, moving all directions in the pocket as though being controlled by a joystick.
He steps up under duress to make throws, sidesteps pass rushers and calmly scans the deep part of the field.
The Gators are getting all this poise and prudence from a guy who never took meaningful snaps until three weeks ago. Career backup Tyler Murphy led No. 18 Florida to victory for the third straight game, taking down Arkansas 30-10 on Saturday night at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for the Gators’ ninth straight win in the series.
Murphy brilliantly evaded the Razorbacks’ sturdy pressure and finished 16-of-22 for 240 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed five times for 34 yards. For the first time this season, he committed no turnovers.
“That’s a talent to have the awareness to know when to step up and make a couple really nice throws,” UF coach Will Muschamp said. “When he starts moving and scrambling, defensively it’s hard. You can’t account for that. That’s something he does really well.”
The win kept the Gators (4-1, 3-0 SEC) on pace with Georgia, also 3-0 in conference, in the Eastern Division. The coming week brings Florida’s toughest test to date and possibly all season: a road trip to No. 10 LSU.
Murphy heads into that challenge with proven success on his record. Since taking over for starter Jeff Driskel, who broke his leg in the Tennessee game, he has completed 72.2 percent of his passes and thrown for five TDs against one interception.
His passing yardage increased each game, leading to the career-high 240 against Arkansas (3-3, 0-2). Driskel, for comparison, topped the 200-yard mark just three times in 15 starts.
“I’m getting a lot more comfortable and I’ve gotta keep getting better,” Murphy said. “It feels good, but there’s a lot of things I’ve gotta do. The few throws I missed— there’s a lot to fix.”
Murphy and the Gators snapped back from an early 7-0 deficit with 24 straight points.
Cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, and Murphy hit Solomon Patton for a 52-yard touchdown pass just before halftime.
With 20 seconds left in the first half, as the offensive line was caving in, Murphy stepped forward in the pocket and found Patton open at the Arkansas 30-yard line. Patton spun and veered to the right sideline, outracing three defenders for the touchdown.
“That drive before halftime was exciting to see,” Muschamp said. “I’ve seen that in practice a bunch from Tyler against a pretty good defense and I was pleased to see it in the game.”
Patton, a senior, is another afterthought-turned-star and has developed into a Murphy’s most profitable option in the passing game.
He finished with six catches for 124 yards, both career-bests, and had his first two-touchdown game. He caught touchdowns of 52 and 38 yards.
Earlier this season, Patton caught six passes for 118 yards and a touchdown against Miami. He now has 19 receptions for 348 yards and four touchdowns, including four catches of more than 35 yards.
“It’s just hard work and performing when my name’s called,” Patton said. “I had a lot of work to do and I did it and it’s paying off.”
Murphy piled up his impressive numbers despite little support from the run game. Florida averaged just 2.7 yards per carry in the first half, and running back Matt Jones had 19 yards on eight attempts.
The ground attack improved slightly in the second half, but the Gators still ended with a season-low 115 rushing yards. Jones led the team with 50 yards on 17 runs.
Now Florida prepares for the always dangerous visit to Tiger Stadium, and Murphy appears to be up for it. The schedule allowed him to gradually build confidence against Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas. Now he must lead the Gators into one of the toughest venues in America.
“I feel ready,” he said. “I’m a lot more ready than I was three weeks ago. Playing at LSU is not gonna be easy. I’m betting they’re gonna come at me.”
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