The Oregon-Georgia game is a pretty big deal in the world of college football and the stars will be out.
In keeping with its tradition of recognizing notable team alumni, officials today announced that former Duck quarterback Marcus Mariota and former Bulldog tailback Willie McClendon will be honorary captains for their respective alma maters at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game between Oregon and Georgia. The honorary captains will join the team captains at midfield for the pregame coin toss prior to the 12:30 p.m. PST kickoff on Sept. 3 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Mariota, the current Atlanta Falcons quarterback, played in Eugene from 2011-14. The most decorated player in Oregon history, Mariota earned unanimous All-America and Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year honors and was named the winner of the 2014 Heisman Trophy. Mariota finished his career as the Pac-12’s career total touchdowns leader (135) and holds the career records for passing yards (10,081) and career passing touchdowns (105) at Oregon. He was selected with the second overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, and spent his first four seasons with the Tennessee Titans. After a recent two-year stretch with the Las Vegas Raiders, Mariota signed a two-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons this past offseason.
Representing Georgia will be McClendon, who played under former head coach Vince Dooley from 1976-78. In 1977, in the only previous meeting between Oregon and Georgia, he scored the game-clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter to help lead the Bulldogs to a 27-16 victory. After rushing for 1,312 yards and scoring 13 touchdowns during his junior season, McClendon was named SEC Player of the Year in 1978. He was then drafted in the third round of the NFL draft in 1979 by the Chicago Bears. After his four-year playing career, McClendon went on to serve as an assistant on the Georgia coaching staff from 1989 through the 1993 season.
The 18th edition of the nation’s longest-running kickoff game will feature the defending Pac-12 North Division Champion Ducks squaring off with the defending College Football Playoff National Champion Bulldogs. Georgia is making its third appearance in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game after most recently defeating North Carolina 33-24 in Kirby Smart’s first victory as a head coach in 2016. Meanwhile, Oregon will appear in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game for the first time in the program’s history. This will mark only the second time the two football programs have met and will be their first meeting since that 1977 contest.
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