Oregon Football: Grading All 22 Starters from the Arizona Game

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The Oregon Ducks quelled any thoughts of an Arizona upset on Saturday night as they took down the Wildcats 49-0 behind a stout defensive effort.

The Ducks, heading into this contest not really facing a "true" opponent in 2012, showed why they are one of college football's BCS National Championship contenders as they manhandled the Wildcats at a rowdy and motivated Autzen Stadium.

Known for their offensive prowess, Oregon's defense stole the night as they shutout the Wildcats for the first time since 1964. The Duck defense totaled five turnovers on the night, two of which were interceptions returned for touchdowns.

With brilliant efforts from numerous players, the Ducks proved themselves to be one of the most talented teams in college football.

Here are the grades from every Duck starter on Saturday night.

Quarterback: Marcus Mariota

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Marcus Mariota once again showed fans why he was named the Ducks' starting quarterback over Bryan Bennett on Saturday night against the Arizona Wildcats.

Though Bennett did see action during the game, Mariota commanded the Oregon offense down the field en route to 20 of 35 passes completed for 260 yards and two touchdowns.

Mariota was not, however, invincible.

Despite leading the Ducks to victory, Mariota found himself in trouble early on as he coughed up a fumble that could have given the Wildcats the early momentum to take the lead in the game. Add an interception into the mix and Mariota was not exactly perfect against Arizona.

Overall, however, Marcus showed good poise despite some rocky moments against the Wildcats.

Grade: B

Running Back: Kenjon Barner

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Though Barner did not break the 100-yard barrier on Saturday night against the Wildcats, he did everything he could to get something going on the ground for the Ducks.

With unbalanced play from the offensive line, Barner found a hard time getting anything going on the ground on Saturday night despite rushing for 88 yards. There were no big, outstanding runs that the Ducks have become used to, but Barner was stable enough to keep the Ducks moving down the field.

Grade: B

Running Back: De'Anthony Thomas

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For the first time in quite some time, De'Anthony Thomas (a.k.a. The Black Mamba) was held out of the end zone.

Though he failed to cross the goal line, Thomas continued to help lead the Ducks down the field as he rushed for 54 yards, caught two passes for eleven yards and returned a punt for 38 yards.

Thomas had just under 100 all-purpose yards on the night and was relatively quiet all night.

I guess lightning can't strike every Saturday.

Grade: B

Wide Receiver: Keanon Lowe

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Lowe, one of Oregon's more talented receivers, was limited in his action on Saturday night against the Wildcats.

Lowe had just one reception for one yard against the Wildcats, not really being able to create anything against an Arizona defense that held its own against the Ducks for quite awhile.

That being said, his lack of production was partly a result of other receivers stepping up and having decent games themselves, not because he was playing particularly poorly.

Grade: C

Wide Receiver: Bralon Addison

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Bralon Addison had his coming out game against the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday. The young and talented receiver caught three passes for 83 yards and one touchdown.

Addison showed his speed and ability to get into the open field and bust past defenders, hauling in a 55-yard touchdown reception that sealed the win for the Ducks.

If Addison plays as well as he did on Saturday for the rest of the season, the Ducks will find themselves with quite the receiving corps.

Grade: A

Tight End: Colt Lyerla

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Colt Lyerla is a monster.

The talented tight end broke out last night against Arizona as he not only hauled in two passes for 53 yards but also rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.

Using his physical force to intimidate defenders, Lyerla showed a strong burst of speed to complement his strength.

With Lyerla now emerging as a new offensive weapon for the Ducks, expect to see his stats elevate further as the season progresses.

Grade: A

Left Tackle: Tyler Johnstone

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Tyler Johnstone played an impressive game despite the offensive line allowing some pressing in the Oregon backfield against the Arizona Wildcats.