Marcus Mariota leads, and it's not just Oregon that follows

EUGENE, Ore. — The play you'll remember — the one that might end up a Heisman moment, a critical combination of decision and execution that was the biggest catalyst in Oregon's 46-27 comeback victory against Michigan State — will go down in the official evaluation as a mistake.

Somehow escaping a collapsing pocket on third-and-long, Marcus Mariota suddenly had room to run. Instead, he shoveled the ball forward. Freshman running back Royce Freeman caught it and ran for the first down.

"It was the only play I didn't think Marcus did well," said Scott Frost, Oregon's offensive coordinator. "He should have ran for it, because that was dangerous. … It could have changed the game."

Which is kind of funny, because it did. Four plays later, Oregon scored. And the avalanche began – three touchdowns in five minutes, 14 seconds as the third quarter became the fourth, and the Ducks erased a nine-point deficit and pulled away.

In a game that more than lived up to its billing as the best nonconference matchup of the season — for almost three quarters, two Playoff contenders traded haymakers — it should not be a surprise that the difference was the Ducks' junior quarterback. He's the reason they look more than capable of contending for the national championship.

But how he did it was different than usual.

We've known about Mariota's arm. We knew that when healthy — unlike, say, the second half of the 2013 season — he could run. But Saturday, against the relentless pressure of a very good defense, we learned plenty about Mariota's improvisational skills. Turns out, the guy whose trademark has been precision and efficiency can make things up on the fly, too.

"I should have to pay to watch that guy play," Oregon's Mark Helfrich said. "We obviously think very highly of Marcus."

It's only two games into the season, but we should think highly of both teams.

Oregon looked every bit worthy of its No. 4 ranking. Mariota was spectacular. And as he cranked up in the second half, the Ducks' defense clamped down. In the process, they tore a chunk from the perception that they can't beat physical opponents (see: Stanford, 2012 and 2013).

"We think we're physical," Helfrich said. "Our style of play is different. … We believe very strongly in what we do."

But No. 6 Michigan State played well, stuffing Oregon for most of the first 40 minutes, grabbing a 27-18 lead behind Connor Cook's passing, and turning the volume way down in Autzen Stadium. For a while, the Spartans seemed primed to leave town with victory, and although there's plenty of season left, Michigan State could conceivably become the first real quandary for the College Football Playoff's selection committee: What's the meaning of a tough road loss?

It shouldn't be an eliminator. But it's definitely an accelerator for the Ducks, who made an emphatic early statement.

"Too many big plays, too much speed," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. "That's Oregon. We understood that coming in."

In so many ways, he's right. Oregon has its usual array of speed merchants. The defense suddenly became stingy, and maybe even angry, when it mattered.

But it was too much Mariota. And if we probably understood that coming in, we know more now.

He threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns — the third-year starter has thrown a TD pass in every game he's played. He ran nine times for 42 yards. But harassed all day by the Spartans' pressure, he was sacked three times and forced to dance and scramble and improvise on countless other plays.

"We knew I'd have to sit in the pocket and take some hits," he said. "I'd have to make plays on my own, just because of how aggressive they are."

Late in the third quarter, down nine, Oregon faced third-and-10 from its 41. The Spartans had momentum, and seemed likely to hold onto it. Mariota had just been sacked again. When the pressure came again, from everywhere, it seemed likely the Ducks might go three-and-out for the fifth consecutive possession (not counting one play to end the first half).

Instead, he avoided all three Michigan State linebackers, first Darien Harris, then Riley Bullough, then Ed Davis, and then he was free, with at least a shot at scrambling for the first down.

Freeman was a few yards ahead, preparing to block. But Mariota stumbled, then flipped the football, end-over-end — like a wishbone quarterback, only a forward pass — toward the freshman running back. Up in the press box, Frost winced. But the pass was on target. Freeman gathered it in and raced 17 yards.

"It's uncanny," Oregon defensive backs coach John Neal said. "You have to be special. And greatness comes in those moments. It's a superior deal. You can't defend it. You can't make it up. It's pretty amazing. And it's gonna be on TV a bunch."

Two plays later, Mariota did what he's better known for, pumping once, then feathering a 24-yard touchdown pass to freshman receiver Devon Allen. All of a sudden it was 27-25 — and Mariota and the Ducks were just getting started. On the next possession, he jumpstarted the drive by scrambling for 9 yards on third-and-8, and then tossed another TD pass.

Even as he suggested Mariota should have run on the earlier scramble, Frost backtracked.

"It's hard to nitpick on a kid that played like that," he said, and then reiterated something he's been saying for a while: "I think he's the best player in the country."

It was hard to argue on a Saturday that, in the end, was mostly typical Oregon.

"We're gonna take some shots," Helfrich said. "We're gonna make some — and it's gonna be ugly sometimes."

Same as it ever was. That's been the Ducks' m.o. for years now, since the program cranked to elite. But a newer feature was on display Saturday.

Sometimes, Mariota will change the game.

"Mariota leads," Dantonio said. "He's tough, he leads and he creates. That's the difference in the football game."

And potentially much more.

Follow George Schroeder on Twitter @GeorgeSchroeder.