QB Duel takes place at Oregon
EUGENE, OR (AP) – Marcus Mariota has publicly declared his candidacy for the starting quarterback’s job at Oregon.
The redshirt freshman emerged Saturday as serious competition for sophomore Bryan Bennett in the battle for the position that opened when Darron Thomas decided to skip his senior season to go pro.
Mariota completed 18 of 26 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown, in addition to rushing for 99 yards and two scores, leading his team to a 41-14 victory in Oregon’s annual spring game at Autzen Stadium.
Bennett, who completed 19 of 32 passes for 209 yards and a TD, is the more experienced of the two QBs, having started a game last year when Thomas was injured. Oregon went 12-2 last season, capped by a Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin.
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The spring game won’t necessarily decide what the Duck will look like come the fall, but Mariota was impressive from the opening drive for the light-jerseyed “Mighty Oregon” side, with a march that was capped by Ayele Ford’s 3-yard touchdown run.
Mariota ran for his own 14-yard score before the end of the first quarter to give Mighty a 14-0 lead over the Bennett-led “Fighting Oregon” team.
Not to be outdone, Bennett answered with an impressive 28-yard touchdown strike to B.J. Kelley to narrow the gap.
On his next drive, Mariota ran 82 yards for a score. His speed was impressive – even by Oregon’s breakneck standards – but quarterbacks wear red jerseys in the spring game, meaning they can’t be touched.
He padded the lead with a 35-yard scoring pass to Daryle Hawkins and Mighty Oregon went into the break with a 38-7 advantage.
Kenny Bassett opened the second half – which featured a running clock, with a 4-yard TD run for the dark green-clad Fighting Oregon team.
Part of what made Mariota’s emergence so intriguing was that it was the first real look that anyone outside the program has had of hi
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