All-Conference Awards Include Five Ducks on First Team
By Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
Marcus Mariota made a little more history Tuesday, becoming the first quarterback in Pac-12 history to be named first-team all-conference three times.
The UO quarterback was named Pac-12 offensive player of the year earlier Tuesday. He’s also considered a leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy, among other national awards.
Mariota was one of five Ducks named first-team all-Pac-12 for 2014. He was joined by offensive linemen Jake Fisher and Hroniss Grasu, tight end Pharaoh Brown and cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. Grasu and Ekpre-Olomu joined Mariota as three-time first-team selections.
Running back Royce Freeman, defensive end DeForest Buckner, cornerback Troy Hill, safety Erick Dargan and all-purpose back Charles Nelson were named to the second team, the latter for his work on special teams. Freeman and Nelson were two of just three freshmen named to the first or second team.
Defensive end Arik Armstead, receiver Byron Marshall, offensive lineman Hamani Stevens and linebacker Joe Walker received honorable mention from the conference.
Mariota this year set a Pac-12 record for total touchdowns in a single season (48) and career (126), while Fisher and Grasu were bedrocks on an offensive line constantly in flux this season, despite missing time to injuries themselves. Brown had 25 receptions for 420 yards and six receptions before his season-ending leg injury at Utah, and Ekpre-Olomu has been a shutdown corner most of the season.
Among the second-team picks, Freeman has 1,185 rushing yards entering Friday’s Pac-12 championship game; Buckner leads the Ducks with 10 tackles for loss among his 61 total tackles; Hill has broken up 16 passes as opponents tried to avoid throwing at Ekpre-Olomu; Dargan leads the team with 81 tackles and five interceptions, and Nelson has 16 tackles on special teams.
Armstead has 30 tackles with five for lost yardage, Marshall made a successful transition from running back to receiver and leads the Ducks with 56 receptions and 791 yards, Stevens started the year at guard before shifting to center in Grasu’s absence, and Walker earned a starting job around midseason and has 69 tackles, third on the team.
