Oregon Coach Mark Helfrich Says QB Marcus Mariota Is ‘Taller, Faster’ Than Johnny Football
Now that Chip Kelly has left Oregon for the NFL, Mark Helfrich has taken over the reigns as head coach of the Oregon Ducks. And the key to his building on the success of the program is his quarterback, Marcus Mariota, who in his redshrit freshman season exploded for some amazing numbers and led Oregon to a win over Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl. In a feature story from Steve Greenberg of The Sporting News, focusing on Mariota’s continuing development, Helfrich is quoted as saying that Mariota is “talle, faster” than Heisman winner Johnny Manziel. And while that may be in jest, he may also have a point. The story:
Helfrich isn’t the only one whose personality will play a big role in keeping the Ducks in the hunt for a national championship in 2013. An elite program also turns to its quarterback. You think AJ McCarron matters to Alabama? Johnny Manziel to Texas A&M? They do, of course, but no more so than Mariota does to Oregon. With Kelly gone, Mariota instantly becomes one of the most influential players in the country… “He’s almost humble to a fault, a teammate to a fault,” Helfrich says. “Sometimes he should force the ball more as a passer, or pull it back, fake it and be a little more aggressive as a runner.” Mariota threw for 2,677 yards and 32 touchdowns, with only six interceptions, in 2012. He also ran for 752 yards and five scores. Terrific numbers? Sure. But on the Manziel scale, well, they could’ve been better. Manziel is relevant here not only because he’s a former Oregon commit, but also because he’s now the guy all young college quarterbacks are measured against. Johnny Football is spectacular, but know this: Physically, he’s no Mariota. “We had Johnny and Marcus both committed,” Helfrich says, “and we ended up with the taller, faster, better-looking guy.” Don’t overreact, Aggie Nation—it’s just a harmless joke. The Manziel comparison, meanwhile, is no joke to Mariota. “Backyard football,” Mariota says in describing the style of the player who broke Cam Newton’s SEC single-season yardage record. “For a lot of us, it’s how we were introduced to the game—just going out and making plays. I’d like to do that. It would be fun. But it would be outside of my calling here.”
