NFL Draft: Marcus Mariota Dominates Cal, Throws First INT
Oct 24, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) prepares to throw a pass against the California Golden Bears in the first quarter at Levi
Evaluating players for the NFL Draft, we all know how good Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota can be. As much as I’ve watched Mariota over the last three years, I failed to pay attention to the fact that in 2014, he had not thrown a single interception…until Friday night.
It hardly had any impact on the game, one that Oregon pulled away with early in the second half, but Mariota was upset nonetheless. If you think players don’t keep track of what their stats are, this proves at least in one instance that you’re wrong about that. Mariota voiced his displeasure with the interception on the sideline, but cooled off after some light joking from his coach.
The pass, by the way, was deflected twice before it was picked off.
It was an otherwise masterful night for Mariota, who continues to keep the Ducks on a roaring pace with five touchdowns last night. When Mariota gets into a groove like he’s in right now, he simply makes it look easy. That’s why so many people feel like he’s going to be the number one overall pick when the draft takes place next year.
Mariota’s skill-set includes a live arm that can make every throw you would require of an NFL quarterback, but he’s also got top notch running back or wide receiver speed. Mariota makes good decisions, and he can run a high-octane, fast paced offense. The question is how quickly he’s going to pick up the complicated terminology of an NFL offense, and adjust to the different pace.
Believe it or not, as much as Oregon has thrown the ball in Mariota’s career (940 pass attempts in his three seasons as starter), he’s thrown just 11 interceptions and been sacked 53 times. He’s taken too many sacks this season compared to past years in his career, but he’s on pace to set career marks in completion percentage and touchdowns.
I understand all of the holes that are being poked in Mariota’s game, but you can’t ignore the production over the last three years and the upward trajectory. It’s also hard to ignore the fact that a quarterback with his running ability has been able to stay healthy these last three years.
One interception on the year through is incredible production for as often as Oregon throws the ball, and Mariota was obviously thinking he might make it through the season without throwing one. You have to love that kind of competitive nature in a guy.