On the strength of four Florida State turnovers in the third quarter alone and a quick-strike offense led by Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, the Oregon Ducks ran away with the 2015 Rose Bowl, beating Jameis Winston and the Seminoles 59-20.
Other than a few overthrows early (including an uncharacteristic interception), Mariota was brilliant, accounting for exactly 400 yards of total offense and three touchdowns, including completing 26 of 36 passes for 338 yards.
Winston also threw the ball well, completing 29 of 45 passes for 349 yards and a touchdown. He turned the ball over twice in the critical third quarter, however, that saw Oregon turn an 18-13 halftime lead into a 45-20 breakaway. Winston had the ball slip out of his hands for a fumble that was returned by Oregon pass rusher Tony Washington for a 58-yard score and also threw an interception -- though, to be fair, the pass first went through the hands of his intended receiver.
On the scoreboard and the stat sheet Mariota was the clear winner in the head-to-head showdown of Heisman Trophy winners. While he showed off the terrific blend of speed and accuracy that has led to his projection as the No. 1 overall pick on each of NFLDraftScout.com's mock drafts, it is worth noting how few of his 26 completions in this contest project to the next level.
Approximately half of Oregon's pass plays were short bubble screens to the perimeter. Some of Mariota's best throws came on complementary routes built off these screens, such as the 30-yard touchdown lob to a wide-open Darren Carrington, who fooled the Seminoles' secondary into thinking he was going to block before releasing deep down the left sideline.
Mariota's other touchdown of the game -- a 56-yarder -- also came off a fake screen in which Carrington hauled in a pass for roughly 15 yards, made a Florida State safety miss, and accelerated the final 40 yards untouched for the score.
Mariota's interception -- one of four overthrows over the middle he had in the first half -- was a rare poor decision for the Oregon quarterback. He rolled to his right and threw across his body, committing the cardinal QB sin of throwing late over the middle.
Of course, Mariota shouldn't be faulted for the fact that his production is inflated by Oregon's scheme. When plays broke down, for example, he showed off the combination of mobility, poise and vision that are critical for success in the NFL.
His success in this attack, however, does make his projection to a more traditional NFL offense more difficult.
Winston, on the other hand, consistently attempted (and made) NFL throws, showing terrific anticipation, ball placement and velocity on in- and out-breaking routes, alike. Just as important, he also showed leadership in consoling freshman running back Dalvin Cook (who lost two fumbles) and by attempting to rally his teammates as the game slid out of control. Given that this was the first game Winston lost at the collegiate level, scouts were curious to see how he would handle the disappointment.
As it turns out, he handled it better than most of his teammates, at least shaking hands and congratulating Oregon players (including Mariota) after the game, rather than running off the field without the traditional postgame handshake as most of the Seminoles did.
With the victory, Mariota and the Ducks will play Jan. 12 for the national championship.
Winston's season -- and perhaps collegiate career -- is over.
