GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Gators quarterback Tyler Murphy has a big fan. A fan who knows a thing or two about playing quarterback at UF.
Former Gators head coach Steve Spurrier, a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback for the Gators who later groomed another Heisman winner in Danny Wuerffel, spent part of his Wednesday morning watching film of the Florida-Arkansas game.
Spurrier's South Carolina team faces the Razorbacks on Saturday.
No. 3 for Florida caught Spurrier's attention. Murphy threw for a career-high 240 yards in his first career home start.
"Tyler's a very good player," Spurrier said on Wednesday's SEC media teleconference. "He's a dang good player. His throwing motion is beautiful. He throws a nice, catchable ball and he can move around in the pocket. I mean, you'd never think the young man hadn't played but, what, two or three games now?
"He must have looked good in practice down there. But he finally got his chance, and sometimes that's the way it works out, you get your chance and make the most of it. But he's a very good player."
Murphy's mechanics have been compared to former UF quarterback Chris Leak, who came along after Spurrier's time as Florida's head coach from 1990-2001.
Spurrier said Murphy does deliver a nice pass.
"Watching Tyler, he throws the ball beautifully, and fundamentally he's very sound," Spurrier said. "And all their receivers are catching everything, he throws very catchable balls. He's a very good quarterback I think."
