NORMAN — The last time Oklahoma suspended its starting quarterback for the opening drive of a game, he went on to win the Heisman Trophy.
The quarterback was Baker Mayfield last season, and though Kyler Murray still has some work to do this season, he certainly made a compelling case for his Heisman candidacy against Baylor in 66-33 win on Saturday.
The junior sat the opening Sooners possession due to disciplinary reasons. According to OU coach Lincoln Riley, though, Murray’s mishap wasn’t as bad as reports initially made it sound.
“He handled the situation before the game well — he didn’t freak out like I’m sure the rest of America did,” Riley said. “He set his alarm wrong on Thursday night. We practice here on Friday morning, and we have a policy where if you’re late to that practice and you’re a starter, you don’t start. If you’re a guy who we’re dressing, then you don’t travel. It’s just a policy and something we stick by. It wasn’t anything egregious; it wasn’t a huge issue behind our walls.
“We knew Austin (Kendall) would play the first series, and Kyler would go from there.”
Murray filled in for Mayfield in a similar manner last season against West Virginia, but the drive didn’t last long.
Murray took the opening play 66 yards to the Mountaineers’ 4-yard line, and Rodney Anderson scored on the next play.
Kendall couldn’t duplicate that success during the first drive on Saturday, throwing two incomplete passes during OU’s five-play series. However, when Murray took his rightful spot behind center, he showed everyone in attendance at the “Palace on the Prairie” why he is one of the best players in the country in 2018.
The junior completed about 81 percent of his passes, shredding the Bears’ defense for 432 yards and six touchdowns. He also finished with 45 yards rushing and a touchdown.
In doing so, Murray became the first Big 12 quarterback with at least six passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown in a game since Graham Harrell, who did it for Texas Tech in 2008. In all, Murray was responsible for nearly 79 percent of the team’s 607 yards of offense.
At one point in the fourth quarter, Murray was stripped from behind while in the pocket on a third-down play, but he managed to regather the ball and complete a pass to Kennedy Brooks for a first down.
“He really saw the field and continues to throw the ball, especially down the field, so well,” Riley said. “And a couple of times when they did get pressure and things weren’t there, you saw a little bit of the juice that he has — it’s pretty unique.
“He’s growing, and it’s his best performance so far.”
Murray was so good, in fact, even the ESPN app had trouble computing his statistical output, stating he ran for a 785-yard touchdown in the third quarter. His rushing touchdown actually came on a 1-yard sneak.
That’s what you call a “Heisman moment.”
Heading into the game, the OU single-game record for passing efficiency (minimum of 15 throws) was 303.3 by Jason White during the Sooners’ historic 77-0 thumping of Texas A&M back in 2003.
On Saturday, Murray was at 391.5 through three quarters before closing the game with a rating of 348 — the highest passer rating in the FBS since 1996.
Pretty good for a glorified backup, even if he was tagged with that label via mere technicality.
Can Murray solidify himself as an all-time great in college football lore with OU’s second-straight Heisman? Only time will tell, but with 1,745 yards total and 21 touchdowns through five games, he’s building quite a resume to do just that.
If he can keep lighting up opposing defenses with these electric and flashy performances, come Dec. 8, he won’t just be a finalist applauding Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, West Virginia’s Will Grier or whoever else might win the award.
Instead, he’ll be saying, “Hello, Heisman.”