Quarterbacks duel at Oregon Ducks spring game

Redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota emerged Saturday as serious competition for sophomore Bryan Bennett for the starting quarterback job at Oregon. The battle for the position opened when Darron Thomas decided to skip his senior season to go pro.

Mariota completed 18 of 26 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 99 yards and two scores, leading his team to a 41-14 victory in Oregon's annual spring game at Autzen Stadium.

Bryan Bennett on the other hand completed 19 of 32 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown. Bennett is the more experienced of the two quarterbacks, as he already started a game last year when Darron Thomas was injured. The Oregon Ducks went 12-2 last season, capped by a Rose Bowl victory against Wisconsin.

The spring game won't necessarily decide what the team will look like come the fall, but Mariota was impressive from the opening drive. Part of what's intriguing about Mariota's emergence is that last Saturday's game was the first real look that anyone outside the program has had of him.