FIRST
freshman in 22-years to
start at quarterback for
Oregon. SINCE, he's been
TEARING-UP the record
books. First-Team All
PAC-12 for
two years, 63-hundred-42-
yards passing, 63
touchdowns just TEN
interceptions. Add
almost 15-hundred-yards
and FOURTEEN t-d's
rushing, and a CAREER
record of 23- and-3 as a
starter. Our Robert
Kekaula on Ducks Q-B
Marcus Mariota, our
"Hawaii M-V-P" this week.
Kekaula: BEFORE flying
with the Ducks, Mariota
led the St. Louis
Crusaders to the 20-10
state HIGH-SCHOOL title.
At Oregon, his number's
have been "Off The Chart"
Marcus: "THREE YEARS AGO
IF YOU TOLD I'D BE
SITTING HERE I WOULD'VE
JUST LAUGHED." Kekaula:
What's NO laughing matter
again this season, is
Marcus BACK in the
Heisman conversation.
Marcus: "THE HEISMAN'S AN
INDIVIDUAL ACCOLADE, YOU
KNOW WE MUCH RATHER HAVE
A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHPI
THAN A HEISMAN." Kekaula:
In his roll as
quarterback at Oregon,
running a "Fast-Break" /
"No Huddle" offense,
Mariota see's himself as
a "Point-Guard" on a
football field. Marcus:
"I JUST KIND OF DISH,
DISH, DISH, AND THOSE
GUYS ARE THE ONES THAT
ARE MAKING THE PLAYS. FOR
ME IT'S A LOT OF FUN TO
PLAY AT A FAST TEMPO, YOU
DON'T HAVE TO SIT THERE
AND TALK IN A HUDDLE, TRY
TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S
GOING ON." Kekaula: "CAN
YOU COUNT HOW MANY TIMES
YOU'VE BEEN IN A HUDDLE?"
Marcus: "YEAH, I HAVEN'T,
ZERO, I HAVEN'T ONCE BEEN
IN A HUDDLE AT OREGON."
Kekaula: 12-and-1 as a
red-shirt freshman,
finishing SECOND in the
country. 11-and-2 as a
sophomore, and M-V-P in
both the Fiesta and Alamo
bowls..... PHYSICALLY,
6-4 / 215- pounds, he's
shown he's got it all.
Versus Arizona State last
season, he THREW for a
score, RAN one in, and
CAUGHT a touchdown pass.
His team now NEEDS him to
be a VOCAL leader.
Marcus: " I'VE COME A
LONG WAY WITH THAT,
NATURALLY I'M KIND OF
QUOET AND RESERVED, BUT I
DON'T HAVE TO START BEING
MORE DEFINITIVE AND
GETTING MY VOICE OUT
THERE." Kekaula: During
the off-season, focus has
been "footwork" and time
"under-center", that's
next-level stuff. Marcus
has eyes "Dual- Threat"
athletic quarterbacks in
the N-F-L. Guys like
Colin Kaepernick, R- G-3,
and Cam Newton. Marcus:
"IT'S GETS ME EXCITED
BECAUSE IT SHOWS THAT I
HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO
PLAY THERE, AND IT SHOWS
I CAN BE SUCCESSFUL AS
WELL. IF THEY STOP THE
THROW YOU CAN STILL RUN,
IF THEY STOP THE RUYOU
CAN STILL THROW."
Kekaula: Easy to tell
be Mariota's NOT a
"flashy guy", not a ME
guy. But Oregon's a
"Have It All" program,
and it shows in their
MANY "Blinged-Out"
uniform combinations.
Kekaula: "HOW MANY
UNIFORMS DO YOU REALLY
HAVE?" Marcus:
"HONESTLY I HAVE NO IDEA,
THEY PULLL OUT NEW ONES
EVERY YEAR. I LIKE THE
ALL WHITES, IT'S KIND OF
SLIMMING." Kekaula: When
you're in the "Heisman
Talk", life can get
chaotic. All the media
attention can become a
DISTRACTION to a team. So
Mariota and his family,
as well the Ducks
coaching staff, they're
letting Oregon's P-R
machine handle
everything. To AVOID the
pulling-and- tugging of
his TIME, Marcus has
found a RELEASE. Marcus:
" I PLAY GOLF A LOT, IT'S
KIND OF A RELAXING WAY TO
STAY COPETITIVE. OH I'M
BAD DUDE, I'M
BAD MAN, I JUST PICKED IT
UP, IF I SHOOT UNDER A
HUNDRED THAT'S
A GREAT DAY.' Kekaula:
And it's not just
number-8 representing the
8-0-8 in Eugene, Ducks
have a BUNCH of "local
boys" on their squad.
Marcus: "ANYTHING THAT WE
DO IS A REPRESENTATION OF
OUR STATE, WE CAN'T TAKE
THAT FOR GRANTED, WE
ALWAYS CONTINUE TO HOLD
THAT HIGH IN OUR HEARTS.
Kekaula: Oregon Ducks
Q-B Marcus Mariota, our
"Hawaii M-V-P" this week.
Robert Kekaula, KITV-4
Sports.