Oregon Spring Game 2015: Recap, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

Life after quarterback Marcus Mariota started off in exciting fashion Saturday at the University of Oregon's spring game as Team Pathway defeated Team Oregon 35-29 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.

Ducks fans were able to get a firsthand look at several possible successors for the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and Tennessee Titans first-round draft pick. Many of them impressed, but perhaps none more so than junior signal-caller Jeff Lockie.

The Alamo, California, native entered the spring game as a top contender to take over for Mariota after attempting 28 passes last season, and he certainly bolstered his chances.

It was clear from the start how the fans felt about Lockie, as they immediately showed their support for him when he entered the game, according to Ryan Kostecka of the Daily Emerald:

He made an instant impact in the first quarter, following up a 50-yard flea-flicker pass to running back Byron Marshall with a nine-yard touchdown toss to running back Royce Freeman.

Lockie then followed that up with a 52-yard scoring strike to two-way star Charles Nelson. As pointed out by Tyson Alger of The Oregonian, the potential starting quarterback seemed to be playing with a chip on his shoulder:

While the first quarter was the Lockie show, sophomore Taylor Alie was able to get in on the act in the second frame. He threw a 42-yard touchdown to junior wide receiver Bralon Addison, which allowed Team Oregon to narrow the gap to 21-9.

Addison excelled on that play as a pass-catcher, but he also got in on the act as a passer. He threw a touchdown to receiver Darren Carrington to make it 21-16, which prompted Andrew Greif of The Oregonian to remark that he was outperforming some of the Ducks' signal-callers:

After missing the entire 2014 season with a torn ACL, he made quite an impression Saturday. According to Stephen Alexander of the Portland Tribune, the redshirt junior was just excited to return to action.

"It's a blessing," Addison said. "You play football for so long and you don't have any major injuries and then you have a major injury. It's like, 'Wow, I really miss it.' Just to be out there practicing again, it makes me extremely happy."

As great as Addison performed from a passing perspective, he still couldn't outshine Lockie. The rising star found Nelson for a second time late in the opening half for a 46-yard touchdown, which gave him an eye-popping stat line.

At the break, Team Pathway led 28-16, and Lockie completed all nine of his attempts for 223 yards and three scores.

After such a strong half, ESPN.com's Kyle Bonagura made it clear that Lockie was a very real candidate to nab the starting job:

In the second half, however, a few other quarterbacks were given an opportunity to make their case to head coach Mark Helfrich. That included redshirt freshman Morgan Mahalak, who added to Team Pathway's lead with an eight-yard touchdown run.

His effort was answered by freshman Travis Jonsen, though, who threw a 17-yard touchdown to Carrington for Team Oregon.

While Aaron J. Fentress of CSN Northwest was impressed by Jonsen's showing, he believes Lockie, Alie and redshirt sophomore Ty Griffin are leading the pack in the quarterback competition:

Speaking of Griffin, he finally made his presence felt in the final quarter with a 35-yard touchdown pass to running back Casey Eugenio. That allowed Team Oregon to pull within six points of Team Pathway with just over three minutes remaining.

Team Pathway was ultimately able to hang on for the win, but the truly important takeaway from the spring game was the fact that Oregon still appears to have an explosive offense even without Mariota in the fold.

Although the starter has yet to be determined, all five candidates showed flashes of brilliance, while the running backs and receivers were dynamic as expected.

The Ducks may still experience some growing pains as they go through a transitional period under center, but with so much depth and talent on the offensive side of the ball, it is easy to envision them being title contenders once again this season. 

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