Just when you thought that the Oregon Ducks looked to be on their way down, some good news has surfaced for the program. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcus Mariota has decided to return for his junior season as the school and pass up the opportunity to be a top pick in the 2014 NFL draft.
Oregon announces QB Marcus Mariota will return next season
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) December 3, 2013
According to the school, the quarterback will be coming back to try and assist Oregon in its quest for a national title in 2014. What does this mean for the Ducks? Well, for one, they will definitely be favorites to win the Pac-12 in 2014 despite the quality of teams returning. Also, they might be one of a select few favorites to win the national title.
After a strong start to the season, Mariota fell off a bit statistics-wise and didn’t seem like the same quarterback after losing his first game of the season — eventually leading to a second loss.
Mariota has passed for 3,414 yards and 30 touchdowns on the year to go along with 582 rushing yards and nine scores on the ground. It might be a lost season when it comes to a BCS title — or even a BCS bowl game — but the Ducks are hoping that Mariota can do what he did in the eight games of 2013 for the entirety of 2014. If they do that, they will win a national title in 2014.
Connor Muldowney is a columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connormuldowney, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. You can also reach him at [email protected].
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