Murray Named Davey O’Brien Award Semifinalist

NORMAN — University of Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray was named a semifinalist Wednesday for the Davey O’Brien Award, given to the nation’s top quarterback.

Murray, already named a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, leads the nation in passing efficiency rating (216.6) and yards per pass attempt (12.33). The redshirt junior ranks second nationally in yards per completion (17.46), total touchdowns (38) and points responsible for per game (25.3), third in passing touchdowns (31) and total offense (362.6), and fifth in completion percentage (.706). All of those figures lead the Big 12, as do his 2,689 passing yards, which rank seventh nationally.

The Allen, Texas, product is on a school- and Big 12-record eight-game streak of throwing at least three touchdown passes, and has thrown for at least two TDs in every game this season. Saturday at Texas Tech, Murray became the first player in OU history to throw for at least 300 yards (360) and rush for at least 100 yards (100) in a game. He has surpassed 300 passing yards six times this season.

In Big 12 play, Murray owns healthy statistical leads in total offense at 403.3 yards per game (next most is 302.0 by Oklahoma State’s Taylor Cornelius), passing yards at 336.3 per contest (next most is 309.5 by West Virginia’s Will Grier) and passing efficiency rating with his 222.9 mark (next best is 170.5 by Grier).

Only eight times since the start of the Big 12 Conference in 1996 has a Sooner thrown for at least 300 yards and rushed for at least 65 in a game, and Murray has done it on four occasions this year. He passed for 306 yards and ran for 69 against UCLA, threw for a then-career-high 348 and rushed for 77 at Iowa State, and went for 304 and 92 against Texas and for 360 and 100 at Texas Tech.

In OU’s 66-33 win over Baylor, Murray finished 17 for 21 for 432 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions while adding 45 rushing yards and a score. His 348.0 passing efficiency rating set school and Big 12 records (as did his 20.6 yards per pass attempt and 25.4 yards per completion), and was the highest in the FBS since at least 1996.

Murray, who was named the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week on Sept. 13, engineers an Oklahoma offense that averages an FBS-best 0.76 points per offensive play and 3.90 points per offensive possession this season. He won the O’Brien weekly award coming off a performance in which he threw for 306 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 69 yards and two more scores against UCLA.

Former Sooners Baker Mayfield (2017), Sam Bradford (2008) and Jason White (2003 and 2004) are previous winners of the Davey O’Brien Award.

The Davey O’Brien Fan Vote counts as five percent during each round of the voting process, and is combined with the results from the Foundation’s national selection committee, which is comprised of journalists, broadcasters, commentators and former winners. The Fan Vote at VoteOBrien.org will be open from Nov. 7 until noon (CT) on Monday, Nov. 19. Fans are invited to cast their vote as often as once daily per email address.

After clearing the first round totals, the Fan Vote at VoteOBrien.org will reopen today (Nov. 7) and remain open until noon (CT) on Sunday, Nov. 18, for the second round of balloting. Fans are invited to cast their vote for the nation’s best college quarterback once daily per email address.

In conjunction with ESPN, the Davey O’Brien Foundation and its National Selection Committee will release the names of the three finalists on Monday, Nov. 19. The 2018 Davey O’Brien winner will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards Thursday, Dec. 6.