The 2012 season began with Sean Mannion under center for Oregon State. Somewhat unexpectedly, at least based on the final quarter of the regular season, it will end with Cody Vaz in that position.
Following practice Saturday afternoon, OSU head coach Mike Riley confirmed that he and his staff have decided to go with Vaz as the Beavers’ starting quarterback for the Alamo Bowl game against Texas Dec. 29. The move comes nearly a month after Mannion started the Pac-12 finale against Oregon in the annual Civil War rivalry game.
“It was obviously a tough decision but I guess that’s a good thing,” Riley said according to The Oregonian.
Mannion started the first four games of the 2012 season before suffering a slight tear in the meniscus in his left knee. Vaz started four of the next five games before giving way to Mannion the last three.
In the eight games Mannion has started, the Beavers have gone 6-2. The Beavers were 3-1 in Vaz’s four starts.
Vaz threw 11 touchdowns versus just one interception this season, while Mannion went 15/13 in those categories. The 13 picks this season came one year after he threw 18, the second-highest total in the nation behind the 19 tossed by East Carolina’s Dominique Davis.