UO Offense's Confidence Soaring With Adams At Helm
By Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
With a weekend off following the Tennessee Titans’ game Thursday in Jacksonville, Marcus Mariota had a chance to be a fan Saturday afternoon at Autzen Stadium.
He liked what he saw. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner watched his successor, Vernon Adams Jr., throw for 407 yards and six touchdowns in No. 23 Oregon’s 48-28 victory over visiting Southern California.
“He’s a playmaker,” Mariota said while taking in the Ducks’ postgame celebration in the locker room. “He buys time with his feet, finds guys downfield, and the receiving corps is awesome. They’re able to make plays.”
Adams threw his six-pack of touchdowns to six different receivers, averaging a little more than 16 yards per attempts on the day. The TD passes went for 48, 52, 37, 30, 21 and 26 yards, to Bralon Addison, Evan Baylis, Darren Carrington, Kani Benoit, Dwayne Stanford and Charles Nelson.
Adams overcame an interception in the end zone on Oregon’s opening drive, and ended up with more touchdown passes (six) than incompletions (five).
“He definitely gives us a swagger we didn’t have at the beginning of the season,” Carrington said. “We’re all out there confident. Anyone can make plays, and when Vernon’s out there he does what he does.”
Royce Freeman added 147 yards on 20 carries, but Saturday’s game will be remembered for the fireworks by Adams. USC had never before allowed a quarterback to throw for six touchdowns in a game.
So dangerous outside the pocket, Adams only had to improvise on occasion Saturday. Early on, Oregon’s offensive line gave him ample time to sit back and find receivers.
“He’s ‘Big-play VA’ – he got that nickname for a reason,” senior left tackle Tyler Johnstone said. “Game in, game out, if we give him time up front, never let up, you never know what’s going to happen.
“Marcus was more likely to run, which was great too. But with Vernon, if we ever fall off a block, we run and catch up and try to get back on the guy, because if we give Vernon time, something’s going to happen.”
Adams’ fifth touchdown pass, to Stanford, came on the opening drive of the third quarter, and put Oregon ahead 38-14. On each of the next three possessions, the Ducks gained 11 yards to move the chains on the first play of a drive, then failed to convert a third down. USC increased the pressure, sacking Adams twice.
But after the UO defense forced a turnover early in the fourth, Adams made it count. On the next play, he threw a laser that Nelson leaped to catch in the end zone. Oregon had a cushion again, up 45-28.
Oregon’s fifth straight win put the team’s 3-3 start to the season one week further back in the rearview mirror. All three losses came while Adams was recovering from a finger injury suffered in the opening game.
The Ducks can only wonder how they would have fared with a healthy Adams all season along. But they’re enjoying the chance to play with the senior transfer in the homestretch of the season.
“Everybody seems really positive,” Nelson said. “We got out on the field and it speaks for itself. We go out there, we put it all out on the field and we come out with a win. We haven’t played our best game; we had a lot of mistakes. But it’s getting better, as you can tell.”
