– Former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota looked everything like the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner in his NFL Debut Sunday. Mariota, who was drafted with the second overall pick by the Tennessee Titans in May, threw for 209 yards and four touchdown passes in a 42-14 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He became the first quarterback since at least 933 to finish his first game with a perfect quarterback rating, according to Titans Online. In addition, he set a franchise record for amount of touchdown passes thrown in a pro debut. But, in typical Mariota fashion, he wasn’t interested in the record breaking performance.
“It means we’re 1-0…” Mariota told The Tennessean when asked about what the performance means. “It’s a good start for us, but it’s just the first game. We’ve got to continue to get better and not focus on stats.”
– Oregon’s 31-28 loss to Michigan State Saturday reminded Mark Helfrich of the Ducks’ 31-24 loss to Arizona in 2014. Speaking at his weekly Sunday teleconference, Helfrich said a combination of “many little things” contributed to his fifth loss as a head coach.
– Oregon dropped five spots in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll after its loss Saturday and sit at No. 12. Michigan State moved up to No. 4.
– It was just his second start of his FBS career, but Vernon Adams Jr. is putting Saturday’s loss squarely on his shoulders. Adams finished the game 22-of-39 for 309 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He also missed wide receiver Byron Marshall for what would have been a go-ahead score in the fourth quarter – which is why he repeatedly took the blame when talking to the media Saturday.
“You know, I can’t stop thinking about it,” Adams said. “He was wide-open and you got to make that throw and the game is different.”
– UCLA and USC both improved to 2-0 Saturday. They are now the lone teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll from the Pac-12. UCLA is now ranked No. 10, after a 37-3 win over UNLV. USC moved to No. 6 after a 59-6 win against Idaho. Click here for a look at how the rest of the conference fared this weekend.
– Oregon soccer got its second win of the season over the weekend. The Ducks defeated Air Force 3-0, thanks to goals from Marisa Everett, Kelsey Foo Miranda Schulz.
“We worked hard for those goals,” head coach Kat Mertz said. “It was nice to see that pay off.”
Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise