Oregon Ducks Football: Most Impressive in 2012 Season

Now that the regular season is over, it’s time to reflect. what are you most impressed about on another great season for Oregon? This could include certain moments in the season, or how a player or position improved throughout the year.

Nov 24, 2012; Corvallis, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) throws the ball in the second quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-US PRESSWIRE

Mike: The play of Marcus Mariota at quarterback. I think most Ducks fans would agree that it was a big unknown of how he was going to play or should Brian Bennett be the guy. I think that the play of the running backs was impressive but the consistency of Mariota at QB made everything else go.

Ricky: I have been amazed with the performance of Kenjon Barner this season. He has 1,624 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns. In my mind, he could definitely win the Heisman trophy, but will not. The one thing I think about however is how Barner will pan out in the NFL in he enters the NFL Draft. LaMichael James played great at Oregon, but now cannot do anything because the San Francisco 49ers have too many running backs.

Ray: Marcus Mariota has been the biggest surprise to me. He never looked like a freshman this season and had an unbelievable year. He’s only going to get better as well so Oregon is set at quarterback at least the next two years.

Brian: Even though it was still a loss, I was impressed about how Oregon handled a physical game against Stanford. This proves all the naysayers wrong about how the Ducks are all flash and style points. They can play with anybody in the nation.

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