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We knew it was coming.
The Hawaiian star has been on the cusp of national awards since he was a freshman and this year put together the type of season that voters could not deny.
Mariota set career highs in passing yards, passing TDs and rushing TDs and had an absolutely insane 19:1 TD-Int ratio in leading the Ducks to a 12-1 (8-1) a record, earning them that elusive Pac-12 Championship and a second seed in the inaugural college football playoff. He now has accolades of Walter Camp, Davey O'brien and Maxwell Awards to bolster his impressive college football resume.
His 3783 passing yards was good for 5th in the nation, best among top 25 teams. He threw for 38 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, the former placing him 2nd nationally. He finished in the top 5 in completion percentage as well at 68.3%. Mariota also ran for 669 yards and 14 touchdowns. Perhaps the most all-encompassing stat to show Mariota's true value to the Ducks' success this season is his 318 points he is responsible for this year, top in the nation.
Ducks' fans have been spoiled with the privilege of watching Mariota since his phenomenal freshman season and have been lucky enough to have him three years now. His all-time record at Oregon is 35-4, and if he and the Ducks can win two more he will have a national championship to bring with him as well.
The long-soft spoken Quarterback from Hawaii has gained the respect of his teammates and grown into a real vocal leader. Even after being announced the winner of three prestigious awards, he was still as humble as ever.
"It's surreal. It's surreal. It really all is," Mariota said. "Growing up as a kid you always kind of see these award shows. To say that I'm a part of really this fraternity ... it's really just a blessing."
The projected Number 1 draft pick will be in New York for the Heisman trophy presentation as one of three finalists on Saturday on ESPN(8 PM ET). He comes in as the front-runner along with Melvin Gordon and Amari Cooper, the top running back and wide receiver in the nation.