One of the biggest storylines going into the 2015 was replacing longtime starters at quarterback like Marcus Mariota, Brett Hundley and Sean Mannion so all eyes were on new Pac-12 quarterbacks in week one.
Based on what saw in the first week of play, here is how the new starting Pac-12 quarterbacks played in their debuts.
1. Josh Rosen Fr. UCLA (34-16 win over Virginia) 28-35 351 yards 3 TDs
Rosen had one of the greatest QB debuts in Pac-12 history and not just for a true freshman. Rosen had an almost perfect game (albeit against questionable competition) and already has the look of an all-time great.
2. Vernon Adams Sr. Oregon (61-42 win over Eastern Washington) 19-25 246 yards 2 TDs 14 car. 94 yards.
Adams looked somewhere between Darron Thomas and Marcus Mariota to me in his debut against his former team. He was playing a weak FCS defense, but he put up a Mariota-like stat line and made a ton of plays with his feet.
3. Seth Collins Fr. Oregon State (26-7 win over Weber State) 10-18 92 yards 2 TDs 17 car. 152 yards
Collins didn't do much through the air, but he ran like an All-Pac-12 running back and hit on a couple of passing touchdowns. The competition was weak, but he looks like will at least frustrate better defenses with his feet in 2015 and probably cemented himself as Oregon State's full-time starter as a true freshman.
4. Mike Bercovici Sr. Arizona State (17-38 loss to Texas A&M;) 25-41 199 yards TD 15 car. 0 yards TD
Technically Bercovici was a starter last year, but going into a season as THE MAN is a lot different. I thought he had a chance to sneak up and have the best season of any Pac-12 QB this season, but after seeing his performance against Texas A&M;, I don't see that happening. His offensive line didn't give him much time to throw, so he completed mostly short passes for not much yardage. He made a nice play with his feet for a touchdown, but overall had a pretty limited performance against a projected lower-SEC defense.
5. Jake Browning Fr. Washington (13-16 loss at Boise State) 20-34 150 yards int 4 car. 3 yards
True freshman Browning stepped into a tough situation in a hostile environment at Boise State with an offensive line that returned no starters and did a fine job. Would I say he did a "good" job though? Not really. He basically managed the game (other than for one bad int) and put Washington in a position to win.
6. Marcus McMaryion rFr. Oregon State (26-7 win over Weber State) 2-4 18 yards int 1 car. 4 yards
McMaryion was still in the running to win Oregon's State's starting job coming into week one, but I feel like Collins has grabbed it with his performance and an underwhelming appearance by McMaryion.
