Believe it or not, Justin Herbert had a better first road start statistically than Marcus Mariota.
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Last weekend the Oregon Ducks watched a Freshman Quarterback throw for six touchdowns tying a record set by several Oregon Signal Callers. Marcus Mariota, Vernon Adams, Dennis Dixon, and Danny O’Neill were among those to complete the feat. The season has been marked with youth, injuries at key positions, and a team trying not to get lost in the turmoil of five straight losses.
Perspective is always important. I was reminded on Tuesday that even Marcus Mariota had some problems in his first road game as a Freshman. Mariota started the season 4-0 for the Ducks, but a big third quarter pushed Oregon past Washington State in Pullman. For the game, Mariota was 21 for 32 for 169 yards a touchdown and 2 interceptions. Oregon won the game 51-26. Kenjon Barner ran for three scores and close to 200 yards on the ground.
The parallels between Mariota and Herbert in their first road game can’t really be stated, but clearly Herbert had a lot less to work with. Mariota had a different team. There were less injuries and team chemistry on both Offense and Defense. Herbert’s accomplishment against Cal could mean that something really special is on the horizon. We just need time for everything to come together.
The fact that Justin Herbert had his team mates gather around him following the game ending interception last weekend shows that this team has no intention of giving up on the season. There were flashes in Berkeley and they will need to be seen again on Saturday against Arizona State.
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The Oregon Ducks and Arizona State Sundevils kickoff on Saturday at 2pm Pacific Time on Pac-12 Network.