Oregons Marcus Mariota, who took a hard hit to the head in this past weekends 42-16 loss to Arizona, says he has passed all the concussion tests and will play in Friday afternoons Civil War game against Oregon State. However, there are still lingering questions about the health of his left knee as the No. 13 Ducks prepare to host the Beavers in the annual rivalry game. Mariota said he got his bell rung while trying to tackle Arizonas Shaquille Richardson on an interception late in the loss to the Wildcats. He appeared dazed after the hit and was surrounded by trainers on the sidelines after he was helped off the field. It was the second of two interceptions he threw in the game, his first two picks of the season. Later, he said hed never suffered a worse loss. Mariota is known for his scrambling ability as much as his arm, but he has been hampered in recent weeks by what appears to be a knee injury he sustained in the first half of Oregons victory over UCLA on Oct. 28. He had negative yardage on the ground, a result of six sacks, against Stanford and Utah. He has said hes not taking off as often because of what defenses have been throwing at him, insisting that the knee isnt an issue. Theres no way to tell how serious it is, because Oregon doesnt discuss injuries as a policy. Overall, he is averaging 284.3 yards passing per game with 27 total touchdowns. He also has run for 529 yards and nine scores. The sophomore already was facing questions this week about whether the Civil War will be his last game at Autzen Stadium. There has been speculation that he might declare for the NFL draft. Im being truthfully honest, Im not sure, he told reporters after practice Monday. After the bowl season, Ill go home and just kind of talk through this with my family and see where is the best fit for my family. For now, hes just looking at the Civil War. This game does mean a lot. It means a lot to the state, Mariota said. Its an honor to play in it.
Posted on: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 13:25:56 +0000
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