Oregon Ducks Football: Passing Attack Helps Ducks Beat Golden Eagles

After an “off week” in their game against Fresno State, the Oregon passing attack came back strong against Tennessee Tech in the 63-14 blowout.

September 15, 2012; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) throws the ball against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-US PRESSWIRE

This performance by the passing attack comes after the staff of Autzen Zoo took a look at Oregon’s pass game in a couple of roundtable discussions. The first roundtable asked if the Ducks lean too much on the rush. The second roundtable asked if De’Anthony Thomas is getting enough work.

In the game against Tennessee Tech, Marcus Mariota threw for 308 yards and four touchdowns. The most impressive part of his game though was his completion percentage. He went 21-for-28 with a completion percentage of 75%. Mariota’s only blemish on the day came in the second quarter on a Howard Griffin interception.

Along with Mariota’s Week 3 performance, De’Anthony Thomas also came up big in the win. He was not just a receiving threat as he also ran the ball pretty well. He racked up 222 all-purpose yards (73 receiving / 63 rushing). He also had two total touchdowns with one rushing and receiving touchdown a piece.

Thomas’ only mistake came in the first quarter. After catching a pass from Mariota, Thomas looked to have an easy 49-yard touchdown, but fumbled. The Ducks recovered the ball for a touchdown, but it was clearly a mental mistake by Thomas.

“It’s a teachable moment for but from my standpoint, I just want to get to the finish line just like I do in track,” Thomas said after the game.

The Ducks might have earned a win against Tennessee Tech, but there is still much to be worked on. Oregon will host their first Pac-12 opponent, the Arizona Wildcats, next week. Oregon will need to be prepared as the Wildcats have a 3-0 record and have played great games like the shocking win over Oklahoma State in Week 2.

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