SANTA CLARA – It was a party at Levi’s Stadium, as Oregon was crowned Pac-12 champions following its 51-13 statement win against Arizona.
Hugs were given. Tears were shed. Roses were carried in mouths. Confetti was blown. “We Dem Boyz” by Wiz Khalifa was being blasted in the locker room. Even Darren Carrington was shooting footage with his iPad on stage.
Three years it’s been since the Ducks held the trophy in their hands and it couldn’t have been sweeter from their view.
“Feels great,” Ifo Ekpre-Olomu said. “You see this locker room right now, I mean, it’s not easy to get here.”
With struggles against Stanford and Arizona in recent years, the Ducks have been victims of their own self-implosion.
Tonight, they made sure to make a memorable return, even if it was in front of a relatively empty Levi’s Stadium crowd.
Said Byron Marshall: “Arizona’s gotten us the last few years and ruined our season, so the fact that we can come out here and not only beat them, but dominate them, makes it a great feeling.”
Behind their defense, who arguably had its best outing of the year, the Ducks not only secured a spot in the inaugural playoff, but also made sure Marcus Mariota looked good in the process.
With the 2014-2015 season quickly coming to a close, the Ducks couldn’t have asked for a better way to enter the postseason.
“Unbelievable,” Ekpre-Olomu said about the immediate feeling of holding the Pac-12 championship trophy. “To get on the podium and to hold up that trophy, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
A complete performance
Everything came together for the Ducks.
Whether it be the defense holding the Wildcats to 13 points or Mariota leading the game with five touchdowns, there was no question who the better team was tonight.
“If everyone just does their job, nobody can stop us,” DeForest Buckner said.
Oregon’s winning margin was the biggest in Pac-12 title history.
A lot has been made of Oregon’s recent struggles against Rich Rodriguez and Co., but tonight, it didn’t matter. Both teams knew the circumstances would be different the second time around and it couldn’t have been truer in this year’s fight for the Pac-12 crown.
Said Helfrich: “We’ve been in that locker room before and it’s not much fun, but those guys (Arizona) had an unbelievable season and happened to get them this time.”
In a game that centered around their dominance on both sides of the ball, Oregon walked away feeling confident about their chances in the playoffs, winning eight straight games since dropping to Arizona last October. Oregon currently has a 5-2 odds of winning it all just behind Alabama.
“We’re ready,” Marshall said about any possible message sent to the playoff committee. “We’ve been practicing really well these last couple weeks, everything is clicking, the defense played a phenomenal game……look out.”
Paving the road for future generations
As Mariota stood outside the locker room with a few media members circled around him, Andre Yruetagoyena, Jonathan Loyd and few other teammates passed by.
Loyd, who had another solid outing on the return game, muttered the words: “the legend” in reference to Mariota. And as Mariota stood there, ready to answer what would be the last questions of the night, Loyd’s simple, but fitting words, resonated.
Mariota, who completed 25-of-38 passes for 303 yards, was named game MVP, encapsulating a career that will surely be remembered and cherished for year’s to come.
For the first time, Mariota was named Pac-12 champion. For the first time, Mariota, who currently has a 10-1 odds to win the Heisman, will be headed to the Big Apple for the yearly ceremony.
“If this guy isn’t what the Hesiman Trophy is all about, then I’m in the wrong profession,” Helfrich said. “If you want your son or daughter to have a role model, pick this guy.”
After years of shortfalls and heartbreaks, the Ducks will have their shot at another national title and a lot of it has to do with the play of Mariota.
As Mariota heads back home, it won’t be so much about the immediate future because he himself doesn’t know what it will entail.
Instead, Mariota will, as usual, enjoy the moment, cherishing the win his teammates and family, two common denominators that have persisted through his ups and downs.
Mariota understands how far he has come since being home sick in the dorms freshman year and it was only fitting for him to describe his feelings as “surreal.”
His one hope as he left Levi’s Stadium?
To leave a model behind for the kids back home in Hawaii, the very place that raised a future Pac-12 champion.
“I hope that whatever comes within the next couple weeks, that kids back home in Hawaii can realize that they can do all of this,” Mariota said. “It’s pretty surreal for me because a few years ago, I was in that position watching Manti (Te’o) and Colt Brennan doing the same thing. I hope we (can) open doors for other kids and pass this on to the next generation.”
Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim