DURHAM, N.C. — Duke coach Manny Diaz says quarterback Maalik Murphy will face discipline “internally” after extending both of his middle fingers skyward in celebration after throwing a long touchdown pass early in the weekend win against Virginia Tech.
Diaz said Monday that Murphy’s exuberant gesture, caught on the ACC Network national broadcast, was directed at offensive coordinator Jonathan Brewer in the booth after a bit of practice “banter” from a few days earlier. Diaz said the Texas transfer just let his excitement get away from him but still called it “unacceptable in our program.”
“There was a practice in the middle of last week when we [were] throwing post after post after post, and we weren’t completing them,” Diaz said. “And it was again and again and again and again. And at the end of that, there was a remark made in jest that, ‘If you throw a post for a touchdown in the game, then you can flick me off,’ from Coach Brewer.”
Murphy’s gesture came after he uncorked a ball from deep in Duke’s own end and caught Eli Pancol perfectly in stride across midfield, with Pancol racing untouched for an 86-yard score barely 2 minutes into the game.
As he began skipping downfield to celebrate, Murphy chest-bumped teammate Star Thomas and then extended both arms in the air with his middle fingers raised.
Brewer said Monday he missed the gesture in real time, but then saw it on a replay moments later.
“Some things you say on the field when you’re coaching obviously isn’t meant to be taken literally when you’re trying to get after somebody in that world,” Brewer said.
Murphy threw for 332 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions in the 31-28 win for the Blue Devils (8-3, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), who close the regular season at Wake Forest.
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