Rank Oregon Ducks Starting QB's since 2000

Moderators: greenyellow, Autzenoise, UOducksTK1

User avatar
Blazers-1977
Two Star Recruit
Posts: 116
Joined: Sun Nov 17, 2019 11:13 pm

Rank Oregon Ducks Starting QB's since 2000

Post by Blazers-1977 »

Note: Im only ranking those who started at least half a season

This is how I would rank them if I was doing overall

1. Marcus Mariota
2. Joey Harrington
3. Justin Herbert
4. Dennis Dixon(If we were doing it based on Peak then Dixon's 2007 season would only be behind Mariota's 2014 season)
5. Kellen Clemens
6. Darron Thomas
7. Jeremiah Masoli
8. Vernon Adams
9. Jason Fife



Herbert Peak wise would be a lot lower but career wise has to be top 3 given his career stats and how the Ducks went from 4-8 to winning the Rose Bowl under his watch
thomas time
Senior
Posts: 4677
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:18 am

Re: Rank Oregon Ducks Starting QB's since 2000

Post by thomas time »

I would have Darron four or five, he was the starting qb to win a Rose bowl and in the natty
User avatar
Blazers-1977
Two Star Recruit
Posts: 116
Joined: Sun Nov 17, 2019 11:13 pm

Re: Rank Oregon Ducks Starting QB's since 2000

Post by Blazers-1977 »

thomas time wrote:I would have Darron four or five, he was the starting qb to win a Rose bowl and in the natty

I disagree as he had a far far better team around him than Clemens did and in 2005 the Ducks only lose 1 game with Clemens as the starter(if he was healthy Oregon wins that Holiday Bowl and finishes 11-1) and it was to that USC team which went on a 34 game win streak and a team which only lost that title game due to a Super Human effort by Vince Young, and a Texas team that was one of the 5 best teams this century and even then it was only at the last moment. I dont think the 2010 Oregon team beats 2005 USC either(though it would be a much closer game).

Oregon beat every other team that year and if the BCS Title Game was a separate game from the BCS Bowls back in those days, then the Ducks would play Ohio St in the Rose Bowl and that game would have been close. If you put Clemens on that Oregon team then I think Oregon may have won a national championship in the 2010 season. Clemens also helped rebuild the Oregon program in his tenure(which if not for Dixon's injury in 2007, the Ducks would have won 10 games in all but one season from 2005-2014) from the post-Harrington collapse.


I dont think Thomas has a case over Dixon or Herbert either as with Herbert like Clemens he didnt have the offensive talant Thomas did around him and had to rebuild the program from the post Mariota collapse. Dixon while his 06 season wasnt as good as Thomas 10 and 11 his 07 season was leagues ahead of Thomas's 10 and 11 seasons so I think Dixon is higher as well. Individual Peak wise other 2007 Dixon is the 2nd greatest individual season in Duck Football history only behind 2014 Mariota and ahead of 2001 Harrington and leagues ahead of anybody else.
User avatar
StevensTechU
All Pac-12
Posts: 5392
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2015 6:25 am
Location: Hoboken, NJ

Re: Rank Oregon Ducks Starting QB's since 2000

Post by StevensTechU »

You could make that list a hundred ways but the only thing consistent would be Mariota on top and Fife on bottom.

"Peak" of players would make me put VA higher. Seeing the difference between Oregon with him in and without him that season was insane.
User avatar
Alan
Senior
Posts: 4193
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2014 2:17 pm

Re: Rank Oregon Ducks Starting QB's since 2000

Post by Alan »

StevensTechU wrote:You could make that list a hundred ways but the only thing consistent would be Mariota on top and Fife on bottom.

"Peak" of players would make me put VA higher. Seeing the difference between Oregon with him in and without him that season was insane.
You could say the same about who the QB has around him, look at Herbert with receivers who could actually catch a football vs the year no one could. Verdell stepped up his game also in the same time period.

1-3 is rock solid, I would put Thomas higher, maybe Dixon....... the rest are also ran’s
User avatar
StevensTechU
All Pac-12
Posts: 5392
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2015 6:25 am
Location: Hoboken, NJ

Re: Rank Oregon Ducks Starting QB's since 2000

Post by StevensTechU »

Alan wrote:
StevensTechU wrote:You could make that list a hundred ways but the only thing consistent would be Mariota on top and Fife on bottom.

"Peak" of players would make me put VA higher. Seeing the difference between Oregon with him in and without him that season was insane.
You could say the same about who the QB has around him, look at Herbert with receivers who could actually catch a football vs the year no one could. Verdell stepped up his game also in the same time period.

1-3 is rock solid, I would put Thomas higher, maybe Dixon....... the rest are also ran’s
It's difficult to separate QB quality from overall success. If I think about what that VA-led team would have been like with Masoli at the helm, or even Darron Thomas, I'm not sure they have the same record (the Ducks were 7-1 in games where he played the majority of the game; 7-0 in games where he wasn't affected by a broken thumb).
User avatar
lukeyrid13
All-American
Posts: 10484
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 12:58 am
GM: Portland TrailBlazers

Re: Rank Oregon Ducks Starting QB's since 2000

Post by lukeyrid13 »

Blazers-1977 wrote:Note: Im only ranking those who started at least half a season

This is how I would rank them if I was doing overall

1. Marcus Mariota
2. Joey Harrington
3. Justin Herbert
4. Dennis Dixon(If we were doing it based on Peak then Dixon's 2007 season would only be behind Mariota's 2014 season)
5. Kellen Clemens
6. Darron Thomas
7. Jeremiah Masoli
8. Vernon Adams
9. Jason Fife



Herbert Peak wise would be a lot lower but career wise has to be top 3 given his career stats and how the Ducks went from 4-8 to winning the Rose Bowl under his watch

Career:

1. Marcus Mariota
2. Joey Harrington
3. Dixon
4. Thomas
5. Kellen Clemens
6. Herbert
7. Jeremiah Masoli
8. Vernon Adams
9. Jason Fife

One game to win:
1. Mariota
2. Joey
3. Dixon
4. Adams
5. Thomas
6. Clemens
7. Masoli
8. Herbert
9. Fife
User avatar
UofDuck
Senior
Posts: 3776
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 11:51 pm

Rank Oregon Ducks Starting QB's since 2000

Post by UofDuck »

Or talent vs team/scheme. Fouts clearly had talent, but not much to show during his time as an O QB.
User avatar
UofDuck
Senior
Posts: 3776
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 11:51 pm

Re: Rank Oregon Ducks Starting QB's since 2000

Post by UofDuck »

UofDuck wrote:Or talent vs team/scheme. Fouts clearly had talent, but not much to show during his time as an O QB.
...sorry, missed the part “since 2000” in my earlier post.
User avatar
DuckDuckJuice
Two Star Recruit
Posts: 115
Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2017 11:34 pm

Re: Rank Oregon Ducks Starting QB's since 2000

Post by DuckDuckJuice »

I would take Vernon Adams over Justin Herbert any day. Sure he had some injuries, but so did Herbert.
User avatar
lukeyrid13
All-American
Posts: 10484
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 12:58 am
GM: Portland TrailBlazers

Re: Rank Oregon Ducks Starting QB's since 2000

Post by lukeyrid13 »

DuckDuckJuice wrote:I would take Vernon Adams over Justin Herbert any day. Sure he had some injuries, but so did Herbert.
Especially given the fact he practiced for all of 2 weeks prior to his first game.
User avatar
pezsez1
All Pac-12
Posts: 5643
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 10:30 pm
Location: RIP CITY

Re: Rank Oregon Ducks Starting QB's since 2000

Post by pezsez1 »

1. Joey Harrington
2. Marcus Mariota
3. Vernon Adams
4. Dennis Dixon
5. Darron Thomas
6. Justin Herbert
7. Jeremiah Masoli
8. Kellen Clemens
9. Jason Fife

Yes, I'm going to be "that guy" who insists on Harrington being #1.

Marcus might have been the most talented of the group, but Joey was hands-down the best leader and his talent was second to one -- and barely.

Sure, Harrington didn't have Mariota's wheels, but he could make all the throws, take big hits (he was rarely ever injured, if ever), and he was deceptively good on the run. He accomplished pretty much everything that era's system allowed him to accomplish and absolutely WILLED the Ducks to win games they wouldn't have otherwise won.

Marcus was amazing, and his teams won games by such large margins that he didn't need to mount many comebacks... but in the grittiest games, when the Ducks needed a field general more than a fast, polished passer, that's when Mariota tended to come up a little short. Marcus also benefited from the Chip Kelly blur era when Oregon was able to destroy teams simply with its pace of play -- it's no coincidence that every QB plugged into Chip's offense lit up the scoreboard on a regular basis. (Somewhat related, but it almost feels criminal to have DT listed at #5.)

And let's not forget that while Oregon mounted Heisman campaigns for both players, Harrington had to play in the figurative shadow of a MASSIVE BUILDING-SIZED BILLBOARD of him overlooking New York City. No pressure!

It's close... but in close games, Captain Comeback always wins. 8-)
Willie Taggart is a dick.
User avatar
DuckDuckJuice
Two Star Recruit
Posts: 115
Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2017 11:34 pm

Re: Rank Oregon Ducks Starting QB's since 2000

Post by DuckDuckJuice »

pezsez1 wrote:1. Joey Harrington
2. Marcus Mariota
3. Vernon Adams
4. Dennis Dixon
5. Darron Thomas
6. Justin Herbert
7. Jeremiah Masoli
8. Kellen Clemens
9. Jason Fife
I’d move Harrington down a little, but I think this is a pretty reasonable order.
User avatar
pezsez1
All Pac-12
Posts: 5643
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 10:30 pm
Location: RIP CITY

Re: Rank Oregon Ducks Starting QB's since 2000

Post by pezsez1 »

I also feel really bad putting Herbert all the way down at #6, especially since Dixon and Adams each only gave one solid season... but damn, it's just hard to deny the Dixon/Adams eye tests. Those dudes were flat-out BALLERS and both might have taken us to championship games had they not been injured.

Herbert might have been higher on the list with a different playcaller and system, but it is what it is.

DT wasn't as skilled of a passer as Herbert, but again, I give points for leadership, a hallmark of the QB position. DT might have been the best field general on that list next to Joey. He played with swagger and came up huge in big games. I'll never forget watching that Oregon team come back against Stanford to win by 20.
Willie Taggart is a dick.
User avatar
Blazers-1977
Two Star Recruit
Posts: 116
Joined: Sun Nov 17, 2019 11:13 pm

Re: Rank Oregon Ducks Starting QB's since 2000

Post by Blazers-1977 »

That is true so I would put Adams ahead of Masoli on my list and the games he was out an injured was like a preview of how the 2016 season would be like. With him playing we nearly took down a team that went to the playoffs on the road and if he was healthy that entire game we probably win that game too .


With him injured we lost by 42 against Utah and blew a 31-0 Half time less at the Alamo Bowl
Post Reply