Marcus Mariota, Oregon Finally Shed 'Soft' Label in Demolition of Michigan State

EUGENE, Ore. — They’ve been called soft. It's been said they’re all flash and no substance. Perhaps 46-27 will change those perceptions. 

Saturday was a night to remember in Eugene. It was the night Marcus Mariota, Heisman hopeful, became Marcus Mariota, unquestioned leader of men. Mariota didn’t just remove the “soft” label from Oregon’s biography.

He incinerated it.

The Oregon Ducks stared their flaws right in the face against Michigan State. They couldn’t run the ball against a top-tier defense. They were down by nine points in the third quarter. They looked like they were going to wilt in front of our eyes like they’ve done before. Ducks fans had nightmarish flashbacks to losses against Stanford, Arizona, LSU and Auburn.

However, there were no nightmares on Saturday night in Eugene for the Ducks or the Autzen Stadium faithful. They stared down their deficiencies, acknowledged them and decided to flip the script. The Ducks proved that they’re not only a legitimate national championship contender, but they’re also tough and mentally strong, words rarely used when describing Ducks football.

The Ducks and Spartans both got off to slow starts, typical in a game with this much on the line. However, the Ducks got their first crack at the end zone following an Erick Dargan pick late in the first quarter. Oregon got down to the 3-yard line, due to a targeting penalty, and failed to cross the goal line on three consecutive plays.

Failing inside the red zone, a part of the field that demands toughness and strength from an offense, has been a problem for Oregon in the “blur” offense era. However, Ducks running back Thomas Tyner finally scored in the fourth-down situation above on a one-yard run, and the Ducks took an 8-0 lead after a two-point conversion.

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That fourth-down run may not have looked like a turning point in the game, especially considering the Ducks were down 27-18 in the third quarter, but it signaled a change in mentality for these previously “soft” Ducks.

In previous years, the Ducks failed to score from inside the 5-yard line in big games, most notably against Stanford in 2013 and versus Auburn in the 2011 BCS National Championship Game.

Saturday was different. While it took four tries, the Ducks lowered their heads and fought for that one extra inch. They got it. Tony D’Amato would be proud. It was a momentum shift in the game and for the program. Maybe Mark Helfrich’s “blue collar” theme has gotten through to his players.

The Ducks looked strong early, grabbing an 18-7 lead following a gorgeous 70-yard catch-and-run touchdown by freshman wide receiver Devon Allen, whom Helfich during his postgame press conference called a “stud." Indeed, he is. He ended the night with three receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns.

From that point until the middle of the third quarter, something changed. The Ducks looked like a lost team. The Spartans, led by quarterback Connor Cook and running back Jeremy Langford, took advantage of Oregon’s shaky defense and eventually racked up 20 straight points. At half, the Ducks, stunningly, were down 24-18.

You could hear a pin drop at Autzen Stadium. 

The Ducks, and their fans, have all suffered through the kind of play that characterized much of the second quarter. Oregon couldn't get anything going. Its defense couldn't figure out the opponent. The Ducks were in a hole. It felt familiar and awful. The fans expected a second half filled with despair. 

But something happened at halftime.

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Helfrich’s halftime speech, which he called "Gettysburg Addressish," must have really been something. What happened after halftime should define the Oregon program going forward and dispel the idea that the Ducks are “soft."

After the Spartans kicked a field goal with 10:55 left in the third quarter, which increased the Michigan State lead to nine, the Ducks stepped up and took over. Oregon rattled off 28 straight points and rightfully took its place as one of, if not the, best football teams in the nation.

While the Ducks defense played much better in the second half, the real reason for the team's change in mentality was quarterback Marcus Mariota.

While Mariota will never admit it, he was furious. You could see it in his play. In the second half against Michigan State, he simply decided to lead by example and expected his teammates to follow. He refused to allow the Ducks to go down without a fight. Not only did the team follow Mariota's lead, but the entire stadium did, too.

The play of the game—and the play that changed the course of the game—was a Mariota escape (something he did a lot of) and flip to Royce Freeman for a first down. When asked about that play, Helfrich said, “Unbelievable. I should have to pay to watch that guy (Mariota) play.”

Mariota would go on to throw his second touchdown of the game to Devon Allen, and the Ducks were suddenly down by just two points, 27-25.

That play represented a massive momentum shift, but it may also prove to be Mariota's Heisman moment. It's certainly worthy. Without that play, the Ducks would have been forced to punt, again, to Michigan State, which was already leading by nine. Without that play, maybe the Spartans run the ball down the Ducks' throats, take a 16-point lead and bleed time off the clock—all of which would have been a crushing blow. Instead, the Ducks narrowed the deficit and stole the momentum. 

Once the Ducks had the momentum, it was game over. Mariota, who finished 17-of-28 for 318 yards and three touchdowns, simply wouldn’t let the Ducks lose. Perhaps the Ducks' identity as soft won’t go quietly into the night. It could always be lurking. However, as long as Mariota is running the show, you can bet he’s not going to let Oregon be a pushover.

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The Ducks proved Saturday that they could hang in the ring with any team in the country. Speaking after the game, Helfrich said, “We took a couple of haymakers and kept playing. I’m very proud of that...That’s an exceptional team. They’re great in every phase and it was a really good bout."

This was an exceptional result for the Ducks, who likely won’t face a defense as tough as the Spartans until Nov. 1, when Stanford comes calling. Oregon took a couple of solid punches—ones that would have knocked them down in previous years—and kept playing. Helfrich's group proved to the nation that it's not scared of anything or anyone this year.

The Ducks also proved it to themselves.

Yes, there are concerns for the Ducks going forward. Oregon’s defense only allowed three points combined in the first, third and fourth quarters. However, it allowed 24 points in the second period. What happened? I’m not even sure the Ducks themselves know, but it’s something that must be addressed before Oregon gets into its Pac-12 schedule.

There also have to be concerns about Oregon’s running game, which seemed as if it couldn't even shift into first gear against Michigan State’s defense, and offensive line. Starting right tackle Andre Yruretagoyena, who replaced Tyler Johnstone in the starting lineup, left the field with an apparently leg injury early in the third quarter. He was carted off, and it’s likely he’s going to miss a significant part of the season, if not the rest of the year.

Without Johnstone and Yruretagoyena, the offensive line becomes even thinner. On Saturday, the Ducks were forced to use true freshman Tyrell Crosby in relief of Yruretagoyena. Needless to say, they're going to need their reserve offensive lineman to step up in a big way.

But those concerns are for Monday. Saturday was a night to remember the new, tough Ducks. 

Follow Jason Gold on twitter @TheSportsGuy33.