What We Learned: Oregon at Colorado

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Monday, November 24, 2014

Jeffrey Martin, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Marcus Mariota is going to be hard to replace.

You almost feel badly for Morgan Mahalak or Ty Griffin, or Jeff Lockie, or whoever is going to be the next quarterback at UO - but then you realize the situation one of those guys (or someone else) will be walking into, and how it’s tailor-made for success.

That said, Mariota is/was one-of-a-kind special.

And yes, he’s gone. Don’t bother even discussing an alternate scenario. If he even contemplates walking into Mark Helfrich’s office and discussing a return for a senior season, Helfrich, a cerebral sort, should literally shove Mariota out the door.

There’s nothing left for him at this level, just an opportunity to limit or reduce his future earnings. 

We’ve been spoiled by his consistency. 

What was his worst game this season? The loss to Arizona, in which he still threw for 276 yards and two touchdowns but was hemmed inside the pocket and sacked five times?

There are dual-threat quarterbacks, and then there is Mariota. He’s in a class of his own - he’ll be just as dynamic in the NFL as he is now, but not for the same reasons. He’s smart enough that he’ll do whatever his future OC and head coach call for, and do it with typical aplomb. He’s not a prima donna, and he’s not injury-prone. Maybe he’s not super-accurate, but it’s not as if he’s spraying the ball all over the field, either. 

Maholo, Marcus Mariota. It was a pleasure watching you ball.

Of course, there’s work left to be done because...

This is a team on a mission. 

And we all know what that is - a “natty,” as in a national championship. 

Look, the Civil War is cool, and it will be hotly contested because it’s a true rivalry. But if the Ducks are anything less than 17-point favorites at any sports book, there will be an inquiry. 

That should be a definite ‘W,’ and whoever emerges from the Pac-12 South should merely serve as a warm-up for a date in the inaugural College Football Playoff. Provided Stanford beats UCLA and Arizona downs Arizona State in the Territorial Cup - both games are Friday - it would set up a shot at redemption for UO against the Wildcats, which would mean...

More than ever, the Ducks need to stick to their mantra.

You know, that nameless, faceless opponent nonsense, where the most important facet of performance is how UO executes. It’s such a cliche, but in the next couple of weeks, it might be more pertinent than ever. 

At this point, Oregon is better than it was a month or so ago. Coaches hope their teams improve as the season progresses, but that’s not a given. Sometimes, it’s good enough to simply keep winning - see Florida State - but in other cases, the improvement is obvious. It’s been that way with the Ducks, and also with Alabama, the SEC foe/bully that some UO fans claim to want a piece of.

I’d say be careful what you wish for. The Crimson Tide might be more vulnerable than past seasons, but it’s still a Nick Saban-coached squad. Historically speaking, that’s nothing you want to tangle with.

Related Articles

• What We Learned: Arizona State at Oregon State
• What We Learned: Beavers Over Rainbow Warriors
• What We Learned: California at Oregon State
• What We Learned: Ducks Defeat Spartans
• What We Learned: Oregon at California
• What We Learned: Oregon at Utah
• What We Learned: Oregon Ducks Vs Washington State Cougars

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