Generally, Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota prefers to let the Heisman Trophy talk and speculation go in one earhole of his helmet and out the other.
"It’s just outside noise," Mariota likes to say.
But this was different. The words in front of him were a text message from Manti Te’o, the 2012 Heisman Trophy runner-up, they were prized and challenging.
"It was incredible to hear from him because when we (Saint Louis School) played against him I was just a skinny sophomore and he was a senior (at Punahou) who always dominated on the field," Mariota said.
"Seeing him go all the way (to New York) and represent where we’re from, that was pretty cool," Mariota continued. "So, to have him text me and say, hey, ‘it is your turn now, have a great season (and) wish you the best,’ that was special. That meant a lot."
That Mariota has taken up the quest and impressively run with it in his sophomore season is reflected in his standing atop the current Heisman watch lists and voter polls, where he leads the 2012 winner, Johnny Manziel.
"(Mariota’s) combination of production and team success is what makes him the front-runner right now," said Chris Huston of the respected HeismanPundit.com. "At this point, I’d be shocked if he didn’t make it to (New York City Dec. 14) as a finalist."
ESPN says, "Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota is the front-runner — and it’s not all that close." Athlon says, "There is a reason he sits atop the Athlon Sports’ Heisman voting for the third consecutive week."
Several of them, really. In guiding the Ducks to a 5-0 record and an average of 59.2 points per game, Mariota has passed for 1,358 yards and 14 touchdowns — without an interception — this year and rushed (28 carries, 338 yards) for seven more scores. In 18 games over two seasons as the starter, Mariota is 17-1 and has thrown at least one TD pass in each.
All this has put Mariota in a position where the next four weeks will tell the tale for both he and the No. 2 Ducks. In that span, Oregon plays three top-20 teams — No. 16 Washington Saturday, No. 11 UCLA (Oct. 26) and No. 5 Stanford (Nov. 7).
"If he continues on his torrid regular-season production pace of 54 total touchdowns, then he’ll likely win the Heisman even if Oregon doesn’t go undefeated," Huston said. "If the more likely thing happens and he falls off that pace a bit, then performing well in games against Washington, UCLA and, especially, Stanford will be key."
This stretch might also be one of the few times to glimpse Mariota in action in the fourth quarter. It is a testament to the Oregon offense and Mariota’s expertise in running it that he is usually on the sideline by then, watching one of his understudies. For all his head-shaking statistics, one of the most remarkable is that he has attempted just 24 fourth-quarter passes in his career. None this season.
Against Colorado last week, for example, Mariota exited with 6 minutes, 50 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Time enough to ponder a lot of things, though not the biggest individual award in college athletics, Mariota maintains.
"I try not to look at that (Heisman) kind of stuff," Mariota said. "But being able to represent our state in the right way like that is something that, hopefully, I’d like to do. But, at the same time, I know I can’t be focused on that kind of stuff. I’m just trying to go out there and win ball games, be the best that I can be."
To this point, that has been good enough to put him atop the Heisman hunt.
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Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.
