Marcus Mariota is difference-maker in Ducks’ 46-27 win over Spartans

Let’s make this clear: the quarterback making his Heisman Trophy case at Autzen Stadium was not supposed to be Michigan State’s Connor Cook.

Saturday was meant to be a nationally televised showcase for Oregon’s Marcus Mariota, who didn’t even get invited to last year’s ceremonies in New York.

Cook, though, played Oregon’s home crowd into stunned silence as he outplayed Mariota for more than a half.

When it really mattered, though, Mariota proved why he is uniquely marvelous, directing No. 3 Oregon to three touchdowns in less than five minutes to lift the Ducks to a 46-27 win.

“I should pay to have to watch him play,” Oregon Coach Mark Helfrich said afterward.

Hard to believe by the final score, but this really was a claw-from-behind effort, as Oregon trailed by nine points with less than 11 minutes left in the third quarter.

Things looked bleak after seventh-ranked Michigan State took a 27-18 lead on Michael Geiger’s third-quarter field goal.

On the previous series, Oregon right tackle Andre Yruretagoyena was carted off the field with what looked like a serious foot injury. The Ducks are already without left tackle Tyler Johnstone, gone for the year after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament in fall camp.

Oregon’s national title hopes appeared in jeopardy unless Mariota did something fast — and he did.

The game turned on an improbable, third-down shovel-pass from Mariota to freshman running back Royce Freeman.

It staved off a punt and led to 24-yard touchdown pass to track star Devon Allen.

The shovel pass really didn’t have a name. Helfrich called it “genetics.”

Offensive coordinator Scott Frost said he actually thought Mariota could have picked up more yards had he run the ball.

“It’s hard to nitpick,” Frost added.

Down by two, Oregon’s defense held, thanks to linebacker Tyson Coleman’s deflection of Cook’s screen pass on third down.

The Ducks took possession but faced third and nine at their own 42 when Mariota raced around right end and tiptoed out of bounds inches beyond the first-down stake.

That led to a 37-yard scoring pass to Keanon Lowe late in the third quarter that put Oregon up, 32-27.

Freeman added two fourth-quarter runs to give Oregon what appeared to be a lopsided win — it was anything but.

Mariota will finish with better game stats this year. He completed 17 of 28 passes for 318 yards, with two touchdowns, and also rushed for 42 yards in nine carries.

If Mariota doesn’t covert two third-down plays, though, Oregon might not win an important game on the long road to the new four-team playoff.

“Believe it or not, he does that every single day in practice,” Lowe said of his quarterback. “It seems crazy.”

Oregon did not completely dispel its image of not being able to handle physical teams such as Stanford.

“People throw that ‘soft’ stuff at us all the time,” defensive end Arik Armstead said.

Michigan State finished with 466 total yards and poked plenty holes in the Ducks’ defense.

Cook, who led Michigan State to the Big Ten and Rose Bowl championships last year, completed 29 of 47 passes for 343 yards, with two touchdowns and two passes intercepted.

Oregon looked lost at times on defense in the first half under first-year coordinator Don Pellum, but also played much better after intermission.

The victory can be called emphatic because it came against a program with credentials. Oregon also scored 28 unanswered points.

Michigan State did not allow more than 28 points to any opponent last season en route to the Big Ten title. The 46 points allowed were the most since Wisconsin scored 42 against Michigan State in the 2011 Big Ten title game.

The merits of victory and defeat will be judged down the road, after a few more games, by the new selection committee.

“We think we’re physical,” Helfrich argued on Oregon’s behalf. “Our style of play is different.”

Michigan State played well for nearly three quarters, but may ultimately be damaged by the weakness of its conference. The Big Ten suffered some brutal defeats Saturday, with Ohio State losing at home to Virginia Tech and Michigan getting shut out at Notre Dame.

Northwestern, a week after losing to California, lost to Northern Illinois.

Did Michigan State play well enough to stay in the national-title discussion?

Did Oregon play tough enough to warrant the national respect it craves?

“I’m sure it will come up again,” Helfrich said of his team’s “soft” reputation.

The important thing Saturday was Oregon won even though it, as Helfrich said, “took a couple of haymakers.”

And Mariota made two plays when Oregon needed them most.

Helfrich also had it right when he said: “There’s a ton of ball left.”