Robert Husseman:
It’s not hard to figure out why so many people want Darron Thomas to win the Oregon Ducks’ starting quarterback job for this fall.
It helps that Thomas — listed at 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds — is a physical dead-ringer for former Ducks quarterback Dennis Dixon, the oft-praised prototype of head coach Chip Kelly’s spread offense. Not unlike Dixon, the Houston native has a strong arm and quick feet. Thomas, a redshirt sophomore, has three years of eligibility with which to lock down the position and further develop himself — so the thinking goes.
Thomas has all of one game of true collegiate experience: Sept. 20, 2008, against Boise State at Autzen Stadium. Oregon trailed 37-13 in the second half, and former head coach Mike Bellotti and Kelly agreed to pull the redshirt off the freshman Thomas. He responded with 13 completions of 25 pass attempts for 210 yards, three fourth-quarter touchdowns and one interception in a 37-32 loss.
The Broncos did not play aggressive second-half defense and Thomas rarely was challenged with coverage schemes, but the relief appearance became legendary.
Nevertheless, Thomas should be given the edge in the starting quarterback race as fall camp opens, and he should be named starting quarterback for the Sept. 4 contest against New Mexico. Simply put, he worked hard to hone his craft as a quarterback during his redshirt year last season and this past off-season, and it’s already paying dividends.
Even though there was no pressure on the quarterbacks this spring, Kelly, offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich and spring practice observers didn’t see a lot of positive signs early on. Thomas, Nate Costa and third-stringer Daryle Hawkins all struggled at various points. Thomas and Costa each made a variety of different mistakes — bobbled snaps, poor reads, forced passes. Early spring practices inspired no confidence in outside observers.
As time went on, both quarterbacks got better. It was Thomas, however, who made the more dynamic shift. He began leading his receivers with his passes more, showing acumen at short, intermediate and long range. His ball fakes — an integral part of the Oregon offense — became crisper. He began to run outside of the pocket and scramble for yardage with more authority. His quarterbacking skills improved drastically.
Oregon’s spring football scrimmage on May 1 gave each quarterback the best opportunity of the offseason to impress coaches. Early on, Thomas disappointed in a major way. On the opening drive, Thomas, the quarterback of the Green team, was intercepted by White team defensive back Terrance Mitchell, who returned it for a touchdown. Thomas made an error in interpreting coverage; he was lucky that his major mistake came at the hands of a teammate.
Still, as the game continued, Thomas shrugged off the early mistake and made plays. He completed 15 of his 23 passes for 196 yards in the 26-21 loss to the White team, counterbalancing his interception with a touchdown pass. He was more impressive than Costa on the day, and he’d worked hard to make an impact.
Costa is a humble and inspiring individual with excellent command of the playbook and polished skills. Thomas certainly has less polish, but his learning curve is no longer as steep. He is a fast learner with the tools to handle the nation’s fastest offense. Thomas showed in spring practice the ability to adjust on the fly, the trust in his legs and his throwing arm, and the rapport with teammates necessary to lead the Oregon football team to greener pastures in 2010.
Kenny Ocker:
If Oregon were struggling for dynamic playmakers on offense, taking a gamble and starting Darron Thomas over Nate Costa at quarterback would be the right decision. However, with LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner in the backfield and all three starting wide receivers returning, that scenario is far from the truth. Instead, the Ducks should take the more conservative route and start the redshirt senior Costa instead of the redshirt sophomore Thomas.
Costa has spent four years on the sidelines at Oregon. Because of torn knee ligaments, he has missed two different opportunities to assume the starting quarterback position. The capable backup has been an understudy to Dennis Dixon and Jeremiah Masoli, who both executed the spread option offense with aplomb despite their differing styles, and has learned from watching them play.
As far as experience goes, Costa has a major edge over Thomas. The only playing time Thomas has ever seen was in the fourth quarter of a home loss to Boise State in 2008. Although he moved the ball well, gaining 210 yards and three touchdowns on 13 for 25 passing, the Broncos were in a prevent defense, trying to keep the Ducks in the middle of the field. Costa, on the other hand, has played far more and looked just as good. He played in mop-up duty against Portland State and USC in 2006, the fourth quarter against California in 2009 and the second half against Washington State in 2009. He has one career start, at UCLA in 2009, where Oregon won 24-10.
Costa’s performance against the Bruins wasn’t phenomenal, but he did complete 9 of 17 passes for 82 yards with a touchdown and an interception against the vaunted UCLA pass defense, which was ranked second in the Pac-10 against the pass. The interception can’t be held against Costa, as UCLA linebacker Akeem Ayers made an incredible leaping interception in the end zone for a touchdown.
Even though those knee injuries robbed him of some of his athleticism, Costa still maintains good mobility for a quarterback. For example, look at his performance against Washington last season. Costa was able to run for a two-point conversion when he noticed the Huskies were lined up incorrectly against the Ducks’ unorthodox field goal formation. He was also able to run for a first down on a fake field goal attempt.
Mobility shouldn’t be the most important asset for an Oregon quarterback anyway, as the offensive line returns all five starters and the top backup at each position. There should be excellent protection, allowing whoever is at quarterback to stay in the pocket and not be forced to scramble. This plays toward Costa’s strengths as a pocket passer.
Costa also has all the intangibles. His clutch handling of a low snap for the game-tying extra point against Arizona with six seconds left in the game showed his composure and reliability. His selection as second-team academic all-conference means he has been doing what has been required of him off the field, as well as showing an attention to detail that will translate on the field.
All Costa has to do is not lose games for the Ducks and allow the talent at the skill positions and the defense to win them. He doesn’t have to be a game-changer, and he doesn’t have to take risks. He just has to be what he is now — steady and reliable.
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Duck Quarterback debate
Daily Emerald
August 8, 2010
Jack Hunter
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