Don't despair … after 3 HC's and different systems in 4 years … overcoming a leg injury … the kid did pretty damn good IMO
2016 season[edit]
Entering his true freshman season listed as QB2 on the depth chart,
[7] Herbert became the first true freshman at Oregon to start at Quarterback since
Chris Miller in 1983 when the Ducks took on arch-rival Washington on October 8, 2016.
[8] Despite setting or equaling Oregon's single-game records for total offensive yards (512), passing yards (489), and touchdown passes (6),
[9] the Ducks finished with their worst season in 25 years, going 4–8 and failing to make a bowl game for the first time in over a decade.
[10]
Herbert became the starting quarterback after the fifth game of the season and showcased his talents throwing for 1,936 yards including 19 touchdowns with just four interceptions in eight starts and led a come-from-behind upset at #11 Utah with four touchdowns in the final 15:27 of the game to overcome a 14–3 deficit. On the final drive, he completed 6-of-9 passes for 63 yards with a 17-yard game-winning TD pass with two seconds left.
[11]
2017 season[edit]
The Ducks entered the 2017 season with a new head coach
Willie Taggart after Oregon fired
Mark Helfrich following the 2016 season.
[12] Leading the Ducks to a 4–1 start, Herbert's transition from the
Chip Kelly/Mark Helfrich era “Blur Offense” to Taggart's “Gulf Coast Offense” was successful before he fractured his collarbone against Cal on September 30, 2017.
[13]
Without Herbert in the lineup, the Ducks dropped four of their next five games, and the offense went from averaging 49.2 points per game to just 15.0 points per game.
[14] Herbert returned to help the Ducks win their last two regular season games to become bowl eligible.
[15] The Ducks were selected to play
Boise State in the
Las Vegas Bowl but their performance fell flat and the Ducks lost 38–28 after head coach Willie Taggart left the team to become the head coach at
Florida State a week before their bowl game.
[16][17]
In 8 starts, Herbert had a 6–2 record and threw for 1,983 yards on 139-of-206 passing attempts (67.5%), including 15 touchdowns against only five interceptions. He also rushed the ball 44 times for 183 yards and five touchdowns.
[18] Herbert was named first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American with a 4.08 grade-point average in biology.
[19]
2018 season[edit]
Herbert entered his third collegiate season as an early
Heisman Trophy candidate despite being coached by a third different head coach as well as navigating his third different offensive scheme with new head coach
Mario Cristobal transitioning from the
spread offense to the
pistol offense.
[4][20] Herbert led the Ducks to a 9–4 record and a victory in the
Redbox Bowl. He finished the year with 3,151 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns, and two rushing touchdowns. His 31 total touchdowns were good for second in the
Pac-12 Conference behind Washington State's
Gardner Minshew.
[21] He was named to the Pac-12 All-Academic first-team.
[22]
2019 season[edit]
On December 26, 2018, Herbert announced that he would return to Oregon for his senior season.
[23] He led his team to a 12-2 record and to a win in the
Rose Bowl, in which he won the Offensive MVP award. In addition to his on-field success, Herbert was named the 30th recipient of
The William V. Cambell Trophy. For winning this award, which is referred to as the "Academic Heisman," Herbert was honored during the 2020 College Football Playoff National Title Game.
[24]
Statistics[edit]
| Passing | Rushing | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Season | Team | W-L | COMP | ATT | PCT | YDS | YDS/A | TD | INT | RAT | QBR | ATT | YDS | YDS/A | TD |
2016 | Oregon | 2–6 | 162 | 255 | 63.5 | 1,936 | 7.6 | 19 | 4 | 148.8 | 73.9 | 58 | 161 | 2.8 | 2 |
2017 | Oregon | 6–2 | 139 | 206 | 67.5 | 1,983 | 9.6 | 15 | 5 | 167.5 | 80.1 | 44 | 183 | 4.2 | 5 |
2018 | Oregon | 9–4 | 240 | 404 | 59.4 | 3,151 | 7.8 | 29 | 8 | 144.7 | 72.2 | 71 | 166 | 2.3 | 2 |
2019 | Oregon | 12-2 | 286 | 428 | 66.8 | 3,471 | 8.1 | 32 | 6 | 158.7 | 74.1 | 58 | 50 | 0.9 | 4 |
Career | Oregon | 29–14 | 813 | 1,273 | 63.9 | 10,541 | 8.2 | 95 | 22 | 153.7 | 75.0 | 231 | 560 | 2.4 | 13 |
[18]