Ducks Roundtable: What should Mariota’s demeanor be on the sideline?

Last Thursday, Washington upset Stanford 17-13 with a winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter. The Cardinal dominated most of the game, especially on the defensive end. This led to Huskies quarterback Keith Price generally being frustrated with his offensive line most of the game.

September 22, 2012; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) warms up before the game against the Arizona Wildcats at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-US PRESSWIRE

However, Price also pumped up the line and his team in general in the fourth quarter. Neither quarterback had a memorable night on either team, but perhaps Price played a role more than just delivering a victory on the field a week ago.

When things start to get tense for Marcus Mariota and his line isn’t helping him properly, what sort of stance should he take with them?

Raymond: I don’t think Mariota should show up his offensive line.  It doesn’t look good in college or in the NFL.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen an offensive lineman show up his quarterback after the quarterback makes a bad play.

Ricky: As a Chicagoian, whenever I see a quarterback getting upset with his offensive line, I think of Jay Cutler of the Chicago Bears. Cutler always complains about his offensive line. I personally see it as immature to publicly complain about the team. This is why many joke that Cutler is a “crybaby.” I do not want Mariota to openly complain about the team. He is fine and there are good ways to get fired up and bad ways. Getting frustrated with the offensive line is a bad one.

Mike: I like it when the guy(s) who are considered to be the “leader” on one side of the ball or the other get others fired up. I’ll admit its not something that everyone needs to do but some guys are more vocal than others. To me it doesn’t see like Mariota is a yeller but we’ve not seen him really in the position to do so just yet.

Brian: I haven’t seen enough examples where being vocal with your offensive line helps out in the long run. They were overmatched against Stanford, in the end the Cardinal’s problems were not being able to convert on the offensive side. Washington hung around until the 4th quarter and pulled out the win because of that, regardless of what Price said to his team.

The Autzen Zoo staff includes lead editor Brian Spaen along with staff writers Joe Soriano, Mike Vamosi, Raymond Mencke, Jr., and Ricky Widmer.