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Pamplin Media Group
Thursday, November 22, 2012
A8
Civil War 2012
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from it. It’s an opportunity to get
your mind right, and under-
stand that things just a ren’t go-
ing to be given to you. You never
stop and keep working hard. I
still have a long time to play.
“What’s going on this season
isn’t going to affect my dreams,
I’m not going to give up on
something just because I’m not
a starter for one year. It’s some-
thing I’ll have to earn. Right
now, my goal is to help my team
the best way I can, whether they
need me to stand on the sideline
or signal in
signs, or go out
and make a
play.”
And, then,
transfer?
“I’m not wor-
ried about that
right now,” he
says. “I’m wor-
ried about this
season, finish-
ing out strong.
I’m got a new
mindset on
things. I’m go-
ing to see
where my best
opportunities
are. It could be
here.”
One reality
has been prov-
en: Bennett, as well as redshirts
Jake Rodrigues and Jeff Lockie,
have quite a challenge ahead of
them to unseat Mariota as Ore-
gon’s starting quarterback
Mariota has been phenome-
nal, already shattering the Pac-
12 record for touchdown passes
(29) for a freshman quarterback,
and leading the Pac-12 in pass
efficiency with 2,371 yards pass-
ing, 69.8 percent completion
rate and only six interception.
He’s a dangerous dual-threat
QB (605 yards rushing, 5 TDs),
along the lines of Dennis Dixon
— an accurate passer, a swift
runner and an intelligent kid
who doesn’t make the same mis-
take twice. He and the Ducks
stumbled against Stanford with
only 14 points and 405 yards of-
fense, but he had led Oregon to
the top of the offensive charts in
the Pac-12 and the country with
offensive showcases in the 10
previous games.
“He’s a cool character,” re-
ceiver Eric Dungy says. “I don’t
think he feels pressure. In big
games, he doesn’t get nervous
or freaked out. So cool. He gives
the whole team a sense of calm-
ness. You see his demeanor,
you’re not fazed, not panick-
ing.”
Adds receiver Keanon Lowe:
“He’s just a quarterback who’s
always going to keep his poise.
He always has confidence in us.”
Mariota has heard all the no-
toriety, and not been bothered
by it.
“I just try to take it one game
at a time,” he says.
Mariota’s journey as a quar-
terback started a long time ago.
He played some receiver in Pop
Warner, and then moved to
quarterback. A coach once en-
couraged him to run with the
ball to gain 15 yards in open
field, rather than throw it. A
dual-threat quarterback was
born.
“Afatasi,” meaning half and
half, they call him in Hawaii —
the son of a father who’s full Sa-
moan and mother who’s full
Caucasian from Alaska. He at-
tended famed St. Louis High in
Honolulu, where the likes of
standout quarterbacks Jason
Gesser, Timmy Chang and for-
mer Duck Jeremiah Masoli had
played.
“I tried to mirror what they
did,” he says. “They were fun to
watch.”
He also watched television
and marveled at Michael Vick.
It’s hard to believe that Mari-
ota didn’t start until his senior
prep year. He had been Jeremy
Higgins’ backup at St. Louis for
two years. Higgins has been
fighting to start at Hawaii, a
school that chose not to recruit
Mariota.
By then, however, the Ducks
had already offered Mariota a
scholarship, which he later ac-
cepted — surprisingly, only
Washington and Memphis saw
his potential and offered him
scholarships. Oregon coaches
had watched himplay in Oregon
camp — ironically, the same
camp attended by Texas A&M’s
Johnny Manziel, another bally-
hooed redshirt freshman quar-
terback. Manziel committed to
the Ducks, then de-committed.
“Very surprising, very surre-
al,” says Mariota, of Oregon’s
early interest in him. “I talked
with Coach Kelly and they had
all the confidence inme. It made
me feel comfortable.”
Mariota didn’t disappoint
once he got the chance to start
at St. Louis High. He passed for
2,596 yards and 32 TDs in lead-
ing the Crusaders to the state
championship in 2010.
At Oregon, Mariota has taken
advantage of his opportunities,
clearly. He never let himself
think he would beat out Bennett
to start.
“I couldn’t let my mind do
that. If I did, that’s the moment
Bryan would have come back,”
he says. “For myself and him, it
was every day a battle, back and
forth, we really didn’t know
(who would start) until they
talked with us at the end (of
training camp).”
The 6-4, 200-pound Mariota
made an immediate impact for
the Ducks, engineering seven
touchdowns in seven drives in
the opener against Arkansas
State. He underwent some
growing pains, mostly with de-
cision-making, but continued to
excel, throwing for four TDs
against Tennessee Tech and
Washington. He ripped off an
86-yard TD run against Arizona
State. Then came the showdown
at USC. He complemented Ken-
jon Barner’s school-record 321
yards rushing by going 20 of 23
for 304 yards and four scores.
The next week, as Cal focused
on stopping Barner and UO’s
rushing attack, Mariota played
even better, going 27 of 34 for 377
yards and six
TDs, the touch-
down mark tying
the school record
held by Thomas,
Joey Harrington
and Danny O’Neil.
“It’s an honor to
be part of that,”
he says. “It’s fun
to throw the ball
and get everyone
involved and get
guys touchdowns.
Will Murphy had
the first touch-
down of his ca-
reer. You have guys bust their
tails for a long time — to see
them have success on the field
is really fun.”
He had a 77-yard run and TD
pass against Stanford, but he
clearly wants to get the Ducks
back on track against Oregon
State.
The game has slowed down
for Mariota, who has executed
UO’s offense flawlessly at times.
Asked whether Kelly and UO’s
system contributed largely to
his success, Mariota says:
“They teach us game plans
and what to do. It’s
kind of applying
that. They really
get a lot of credit,
but it’s also the
guys around me.
They’re the ones
who catch the ball,
block up front and
run hard. This is a
whole team thing.”
Says Kelly: “He’s
had the opportuni-
ty to go out there
and experience a
lot of different
things. He’s a real
sharp kid, a real quick learner.
The more experience he gets,
the better he’s going to be.
When you’re trying to tell him
to do something (like run), you
screw him up. He’s made some
pretty good decisions.”
The 6-3, 200-pound Bennett
stumbled early this season, but
he has contributed with six
rushing touchdowns, and been
part of Oregon’s most unique
plays. He and Colt Lyerla jointly
held the ball on a short TD run
against Arizona (Lyerla got the
TD credit) and then he tossed
(heaved?) a 2-yard TD pass to
Mariota on another UO red-
zone play. Both received ESPN
highlights.
Bennett has been happy get-
ting some playing time, whether
it be in routs, as a red-zone
weapon or replacing a banged-
up Mariota briefly against
USC. (Mariota hurt his left
shoulder twice, against USC
and Cal).
Bennett’s athleticism war-
rants him being on the field; he
has taken snaps in the second-
ary, and he wouldn’t rule out
wanting to play receiver or
running back.
“I’m blessed to have the op-
portunities I’ve been given,”
Bennett says. “I’m happy to
see Marcus succeed, and also
get a little chance to make
some plays myself.”
He has observed UO’s start-
ing quarterback, and tried to
learn from him.
“Marcus has done a great
job since he got here, taking
things in and understanding
the offense,” Bennett says. “He
plays with poise, within him-
self, he’s very efficient in the
passing game and running
game and making good deci-
sions.”
Adds Mariota: “I feel Bryan
does a good job making sure
everyone understands what
they’re doing out there. He’s a
really good vocal leader. He’s
an aggressive guy, likes to take
chances. He’s a hell of a foot-
ball player. He’s good at what
he does.”
Bennett says the two quar-
terbacks have a strong rela-
tionship — “competition never
put salty feelings between us,”
he says. “We understand each
other’s roles.”
The relationship extends to
prospects Rodrigues and Lock-
ie, who, no matter what hap-
pens with Bennett, would be
trying to earn playing time in
the future.
“It’s like a family,” Mariota
says. “When it comes down to
it, we support each other. It’s a
fun atmosphere. They get me
ready for each game, they make
sure I’m OK, that I’m under-
standing what’s going on. It’s
unbelievable, like a family.”
GREG WAHL-STEPHENS
Colt Lyerla (left) and quarterback Bryan Bennett both go into the end zone with the ball for Oregon in the
win over Arizona this season. Lyerla got credit for the touchdown.
Mariota:
QB competition spurred improvement
■
From page 1
MARiOTA
BENNETT
“He’s a real
sharp kid, a real
quick learner.
The more
experience
he gets, the
better he’s
going to be.”
— Coach Chip Kelly,
on Marcus Mariota