Coming into the 2015 season, arguably the biggest shoes to fill belonged to whomever took over as the Oregon Ducks starting quarterback. Matching the production of Marcus Mariota, who put together one of the most impressive resumes of anyone in NCAA history, was just something that wasn’t going to happen.

Well, after one game, the Ducks seem to be doing just fine offensively.

Vernon Adams, who transferred this offseason from the FCS powerhouse Eastern Washington Eagles, might not be Mariota, but he showed in Oregon’s opening game, a 61-42 victory over EWU, that he can be run the offense with expert precision.

The fifth-year Senior overcame some pregame jitters and completed 19-of-25 attempts for 246 yards and two touchdowns through the air and also chipped in 94 yards on the ground.

Very proud of him the way he performed today, there was a lot of anxiety around there, a lot of people wondering what he was going to do and how he was going to do,” Sophomore running back Royce Freeman said of Adams’ hyped debut. “But at the end of the day, I like him because he’s a baller. Point blank. Period.”

One of the biggest reasons why Adams was feeling a bit nervous leading up to the game was likely because he had only been on campus for a few weeks. He spent only 22 days at Oregon from the time he transferred to the time he played his first game, but with the sample size that we have, he already looks like an old pro running Mark Helfrich’s up-tempo spread attack.

But while Adams was certainly impressive, Freeman was the player of the game. The 230-pound tailback pounded his way to a career-high 180 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries.

Steve Dykes/Getty Images

Or was Adams the player of the game? It doesn’t much matter, really, all that matters is that this new version of the Oregon offense – the one that doesn’t include Mariota for the first time in five years – is as explosive as ever.

The Ducks racked up 731 yards of total offense, the highest total of any team on opening weekend (Ohio State and Virginia Tech have not yet played). Adams was terrific, Freeman was sensational and they got plenty of help, too.

Backup running backs Kani Benoit and Tony Brooks-James, who rushed for 83 and 63 yards, respectively, showed enough promise that the Ducks might not miss Thomas Tyner, who injured his shoulder in preseason practice. Benoit ran for a score, and Brooks-James scored twice.

Dwayne Stanford caught three passes for 90 yards – good for a whopping 30 yards/catch – and Byron Marshall and Bralon Addison each caught touchdowns.

The return of Addison – who missed all of 2014 – will do wonders for the Ducks. Addison was one of the most productive receivers on the 2013 squad, and his consistency was really missed last year, especially toward the end of the season when injuries depleted the receiving corps.

Speaking of Addison, he was the recipient of Adams’ first touchdown pass as a Duck.

Take everything into account, and the Ducks are going to be just fine. According to Dave Lombardi of ESPN.com:

The Ducks are back in business – at least offensively,” Lombardi wrote in a recent article. “Adams made a variety of plays, proving slippery while scrambling and accurate while throwing downfield. His deep ball featured the same touch that filled highlight reels at Eastern Washington.”

In business. That’s what Oregon fans like to hear.

The only negative thing regarding Adams was when he was viciously hit by one of his former teammates late in the game. Jeff Lockie had to replace him, but Adams said that he is fine and will play next week against Michigan State.

The Ducks will need him next week. The Spartans are a legitimate opponent with a reputation as a dominant defense. It will be interesting to see how Adams performs against a tough defense.

But if forced to guess, this writer would say that Oregon will be as explosive as ever.

Because with a baller at quarterback, the offense tends to be in business.

VAVEL Logo
About the author
Heath Clary
I am a sports columnist and blogger. I mostly write about the MLB and college football, but I do a little of everything