Here We Go Again, Nate Costa is Lost For the Season

When I awoke this morning, I could sense something familiar but different in the air. The typical summer weather for an Oregon morning had returned after a brief span of clouds and rain. I could hear the sounds of pickup trucks and motor-homes revving up to head down to football stadiums around the Pacific Northwest. Yes folks, it is college football season once again!

And with another Oregon Ducks Football season coming to a start, the familiar article in the newspaper was present in today's issue of "The Oregonian".

Nate Costa, who was No. 1 on the depth chart for Oregon's quarterbacks, was reportedly out for eight to ten weeks with a torn meniscus in his left knee. Now, reports are growing worse. Further medical attention revealed yet another tear in Costa's ACL, the third occurrence of this injury. Costa is now out for the entire season, and can qualify for a medical redshirt his senior season.

Now Justin Roper is atop the depth chart at quarterback. Justin Roper is the only relatively tested quarterback on the team. Roper came in as the fifth string quarterback last season when injuries to Dennis Dixon, Brady Leaf, Nate Costa, and Cody Kempt left them unable to play. After a shaky start, Roper put on an above average performance in the Civil War, and the best performance of his short career in the Sun Bowl, when Oregon spanked the favored South Florida Buls 56-21.

Roper is listed as a Pro-Style Quarterback, meaning the traditional "drop-back-to-pass" and "stay-in-the-pocket" quarterback, that, until 2006, was the style of play that defined Oregon Football, with great Oregon quarterbacks such as Kellen Clemens, Joey Harrington, Akili Smith, Tony Graziani, and Dan Fouts examplifing it.

At 6' 6'', Roper is definitely not what you would qualify as a dual-threat quarterback. His agility and speed are getting better, but nowhere as close as to what Costa could do. Roper is deceptively fast for a 6' 6'' quarterback though. He showed this in the Civil War and Sun Bowl, when the offensive line provided superlative blocking. Once Roper got through a hole, and was in the open field, his long strides provided the "stuff" he needed to get a big gain on the ground.

Roper is nowhere as exciting to watch as Dennis Dixon was, but Roper is much better of a downfield passer than Dixon was. Dixon's game was defined by his scrambling, and short, precise throws that would usually go for small gains, but were turned into big ones by the receivers.

Roper can heave the ball down the field to an open receiver for a big gain. He is also getting much better at recognizing pass coverage, and when he should throw or run.

He's only a sophomore. We've already seen great things from him, and we are due to see plenty more.

The loss of Costa is still disheartening. It would have been much nicer to see a dual threat quarterback lead the spread option offense that has brought Oregon so much success in recent years. But every cloud has a silver lining. Costa can get a medical redshirt for his senior season, which would make up for this season. Costa will also be wearing a headset every game, providing great analysis of an opposing defense's coverage, give Roper the tools, knowledge and confidence he needs in order to succeed in this spread option offense.

I have complete confidence in Roper. All Duck fans need to do now, is trust him. If you do, then we are already halfway to a bowl game.