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Mariota, Ekpre-Olomu Among Finalists For National Awards

Nov 25, 2014

By Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com

Marcus Mariota and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu were announced Tuesday as finalists for three of the awards that will be handed out Dec. 11 on ESPN’s “Home Depot College Football Awards” from Orlando, Fla.

Mariota, the Ducks’ junior quarterback, is a finalist for the Maxwell Football Club’s national player of the year award, and for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award. Ekpre-Olomu, a senior cornerback, is up for the Jim Thorpe Award as the country’s best defensive back.

Mariota leads the nation in pass efficiency with a quarterback rating of 185.2, and he has accounted for a Pac-12 record 42 total touchdowns this season. He broke that record last week in Oregon’s win over Colorado, during which he also became the sixth player in major college history with 9,000 passing yards and 2,000 rushing yards in his career.

Maxwell Football Club members will vote on their player of the year award along with NCAA head coaches, sports information directors and media. Mariota, who follows Joey Harrington (2001) and Dennis Dixon (2007) as finalists for the award from Oregon, is joined as a nominee by running back Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin and quarterback Dak Prescott of Mississippi State.

The Davey O’Brien award is handed out by a selection committee of media and former winners, along with a fan vote through its web site that accounts for five percent. Trevone Boykin of Texas Christian is a finalist along with Mariota and Prescott.

Ekpre-Olomu, Oregon’s active career leader with 37 pass breakups, was a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award for the second straight year, and is joined as a finalist this season by Landon Collins of Alabama and Gerod Holliman of Louisville. The award is presented by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.