Former Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington can pin-point the rise of the Ducks football program.
The Portland native remembers the quarterback responsible for that, too. You’ll have to go back to 1989 for the answer.
“I do think it's a 25-year evolution that started with Bill Musgrave,” Harrington told Sporting News. “Bill came in and lit the campus on fire.
“He took us to the Independence Bowl,” he said. “That momentum created recruits. That led to the ‘94 Rose Bowl. That led to the Cotton Bowl. That turns into facilities. ... There’s been a steady evolution of the program ever since.”
That includes the quarterback position. The evolution from Musgrave to Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota is just as astounding. It has the Ducks on the brink of the program’s first national championship.
Who are the quarterbacks responsible for that?
Bill Musgrave (1987-90)
Vitals: Musgrave started four years at Oregon under Rich Brooks and led Oregon to its first bowl game since 1963.
Oregon legacy: Musgrave led the Ducks to consecutive bowl wins in 1989-90. He threw for 36 TDs in those two seasons.
Next-level impact: Musgrave served as a journeyman NFL quarterback from 1991-98 and now serves as Chip Kelly’s quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia.
Danny O’Neil (1991-94)
Vitals: O’Neil, a three-year starter, finished with 62 TD passes from 1991-94.
Oregon legacy: In 1994, O’Neil led Oregon to its first Rose Bowl appearance since 1957. Penn State beat Oregon 38-20, but the Ducks arrived on the national radar. O’Neil set the school record for career passing yards (8,066), which Mariota broke this season.
Quotable: “He was such a great kid,” Oregon play-by-play announcer Jerry Allen told Sporting News. “He ended up becoming a minister. He’s tremendous around people. It’s fun to see young guys under that pressure, knowing they are good people.”
Tony Graziani (1993-96)
Vitals: Mike Bellotti took over for Rich Brooks in 1994, and he turned to Graziani to keep the program rolling. Graziani led the Ducks to the Cotton Bowl that season.
Oregon legacy: Graziani is the guy who broke the 23-year drought at The Coliseum against USC in 1994. He passed for 287 yards in a 22-7 win.
Next-level impact: Graziani played mostly as a backup in the NFL from 1997-2000. He resurrected his career in the Arena Football League, where he won a championship with the Philadelphia Soul in 2008.
Akili Smith (1997-98)
Vitals: Smith split time with Jason Maas in 1997 before taking over full time in 1998, when he threw for 30 TDs and just seven interceptions. Smith opened the season with four TDs against Michigan State. He led the Ducks to an 8-4 record.
Oregon legacy: The Bengals took Smith with the No. 3 pick in the NFL Draft, the highest an Oregon quarterback had ever been taken in the draft.
Next-level impact: Smith struggled through four seasons with the Bengals, where he compiled a 3-14 record as a starter. He’s an assistant coach at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, Calif.
A.J. Feeley (1999-2000)
Vitals: Feeley had NFL size (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) and he led Oregon to a 9-3 record in 1999 and a win against Minnesota in the Sun Bowl.
Oregon legacy: Feeley suffered an elbow injury the following season, which opened up the door for Joey Harrington to start.
Next-level impact: Feeley enjoyed a long career as a NFL backup. He played for five different teams from 2001-11.
Joey Harrington (1999-2001)
Vitals: Harrington took over as starter in 2000 and led Oregon to a 10-2 record. He followed up with an 11-1 season in 2001, which he capped with a 38-16 win against Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl.
Oregon legacy: Harrington not only led Oregon to its first BCS bowl win; he finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2001.
Next-level impact: Detroit selected Harrington with the No. 3 pick in the 2002 NFL Draft. He finished 26-50 as a starter through a six-year career.
Harrington’s take: "We didn't blow teams out of the water,” Harrington told Sporting News. “We had 10 fourth-quarter comebacks. We won games close and won games late. We rarely blew teams out numbers wise.”
Kellen Clemens (2002-05)
Vitals: Clemens had an up-and-down career at Oregon. He had a sensational sophomore year, but the Ducks missed a bowl game in 2004 after a 5-6 season. Clemens bounced back to lead Oregon to a 7-1 record his senior season before suffering a broken ankle against Arizona.
Oregon legacy: Clemens’ career amounted to 7,555 passing yards and 61 TDs with the Ducks.
Next-level impact: Clemens has served primarily as a backup through a nine-year NFL career. He had a 4-5 record as a starter in St. Louis in 2013.
Dennis Dixon (2004-07)
Vitals: Dixon struggled in 2006, but the marriage with first-year offensive coordinator Chip Kelly in 2007 changed college football. Dixon scored four total touchdowns against Michigan in Week 2, and he bolted to into the Heisman Trophy conversation after leading Oregon to back-to-back wins against top-10 teams Arizona State and USC.
Oregon legacy: Dixon suffered a knee injury against Arizona, a game in which the Ducks lost. Dixon ushered in Kelly’s zone-read offense to Oregon, a move that continues to pay off today.
Next-level impact: Dixon has spent seven seasons in the NFL. He currently plays for the Buffalo Bills.
Jeremiah Masoli (2008-09)
Vitals: Masoli led Oregon to a 10-3 record in Mike Bellotti’s final season in 2008 and followed up with another 10-3 season in 2009 under Kelly. He led Oregon to the Rose Bowl in the 2009 season.
Oregon legacy: Kelly suspended Masoli for the entire 2010 season after a series of off-field incidents, and Masoli transferred to Ole Miss.
Next-level impact: Masoli has spent the last three seasons playing in the CFL.
Darron Thomas (2008-11)
Vitals: Thomas proved a perfect match for Kelly’s system. From 2010-11, Thomas totaled 63 touchdown passes and just 16 interceptions.
Oregon legacy: Thomas led Oregon to the BCS championship game in 2010 and followed up with a Rose Bowl win the next season, but he opted to forego his senior year for the 2012 NFL Draft.
Next-level impact: Thomas did not catch on in the NFL. He plays for the Portland Thunder in the Arena Football League.
Marcus Mariota (2012-present)
Vitals: Mariota career statistics are ridiculous. He’s totaled 103 passing TDs with just 13 interceptions, and he’s added 29 rushing touchdowns. He won the program’s first Heisman Trophy this season, and he has to chance to give Oregon its first national championship with a win against Ohio State on Jan. 12.
Oregon legacy: All that led to a seamless transition from Chip Kelly to Mark Helfrich at Oregon. Mariota is the most-celebrated quarterback in Oregon history, perhaps greater than Dan Fouts.
Next-level impact: Mariota, if he decides to enter the 2015 NFL Draft, will be a candidate to be the No. 1 pick.
Helfrich’s take: “Being around the guy every day, he makes me a better person, makes me a better coach, makes all of us work hard, harder, by being around him. His teammates love him. The myth is closer to truth than fiction.”
