Since the first day of fall camp, coaches Mike Bellotti and Chip Kelly have had twinkles in their eyes while talking about the ball Jeremiah Masoli throws.
They raved about his strong arm and his quick release, and we saw that release give the receiving corps trouble in his first appearance against the Huskies. He did manage to connect with wide receivers Jeffrey “The Maelstrom” Maehl and Jaison Willams for touchdowns in the game while completing 9-of-17 passes for 126 yards, but on several of the incomplete passes the ball simply arrived early, before the receivers were used to it being there.
On Saturday against the Washington State Cougars, with a full week of first team reps and no cheap-shot concussion, Masoli and his receivers looked totally in sync. Masoli completed nearly 60 percent of his passes for 161 yards and two scores, both to Williams.
One of them was a short completion that the receiver turned into a touchdown run. The other was a perfect, thread-the-needle bullet to Williams in the back of the endzone.
The good news is this: Not only have the Ducks found a quarterback, they’ve found one who, by early accounts at least, throws a ball that Williams seems able to hold on to. All three of Williams’ touchdown grabs have come from Masoli.
And trust me, Duck fan, you need Williams catching balls to compete. I know many of you have given up on Williams, but he is an invaluable weapon on the outside with his natural athletic ability, his size and his speed.
All of that said, I think the quarterback page at Oregon is about to turn past Justin Roper and Nate Costa. The younger quarterbacks of Oregon, with Masoli in the lead, have been forced out of the shadows and into the limelight, and don’t expect them to go quietly back to the sidelines. When talented young prospects like Darron Thomas, Chris Harper and Masoli start to gain experience, they will be too valuable on the field to put back on the shelf. For all of you chomping at the bit for Roper to get healthy again and take back his spot leading the offense, let’s take a quick look at some numbers.
Masoli’s numbers, even at this early juncture, stack up well against Roper’s. Masoli has completed 28-of-48 passes this season; that’s a 58.3 percent clip, and the highest efficiency rating of any Duck quarterback who has taken the field this season. Roper has completed 40-of-76, (52.6 percent), close to six percent fewer than Masoli.
Then there is the touchdown-to-interception ratio, always a crucial category for a gunslinger. Roper has thrown four interceptions this year. Some have come on very questionable throws for a college quarterback, and these picks go along with just two touchdowns. That’s right – two.
Masoli, conversely, has thrown four touchdowns, offset by … wait for it … a whopping zero interceptions.
Roper and Costa have never been anything but gracious and polite young men when I have spoken to them and I wish them no ill will, but these are the facts as I see them. Roper has contributed much to the program in times of great need, and he has played with heart and poise. Costa has done nothing wrong, other than being the victim of what seems like a congenitally weak knee.
I wish these young men speedy recoveries, and all the best in the future. Unfortunately for them, I think the future quarterback for the Ducks has already arrived.
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