For three seasons, college football coaches have schemed to figure out a way to stop Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.
All it took for the Oregon State Police to trip Mariota up was a small stretch of highway near Eugene.
The Ducks' signal-caller was ticketed for speeding last week, according to The Oregonian. Police said Mariota was driving 80 mph in a 55 mph zone.
"Mr. Mariota was polite and respectful, he was professional and took the citation appropriately and acted appropriately," state police Lt. Josh Brooks told the paper. "Everybody gets tickets and 80 in a 55 is a tad fast. We send you on your way, it's just that."
Mariota was stopped by police at 12:46 a.m. PT on Nov. 12, per the report. Oregon had a bye last week following a Nov. 8 victory over Utah that helped the squad capture the Pac-12 North title.
Mariota faces a Dec. 11 Lane County Circuit Court date and a $260 fine, according to the report. It should be noted that Dec. 11 is also the day of the annual college football awards show in Orlando, Fla., where Mariota is considered the favorite to win a number of trophies based on his play this season. However, Mariota does not have to appear in court to settle the matter, per the paper.
This isn't the first time a prominent college football player has seen a lead foot generate a few headlines. Just last year at South Carolina, star defensive end Jadeveon Clowney was cited for speeding twice in one month.
If anything, the ticket goes to show that Mariota is strangely just like the rest of us, instead of some super-human football player.
The redshirt junior is considered to be the best player in the sport and is widely considered to be the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy that is handed out in December. The Ducks are currently ranked No. 2 in the country by the College Football Playoff selection committee and will face Colorado in their final home game of the year on Saturday.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
