How Bo Nix's 2022 season compares historically among Oregon quarterbacks

In the minutes that followed Oregon’s Week 8 win over UCLA in November, Ducks’ head coach Dan Lanning made a bold proclamation about his starting quarterback, Bo Nix.

“I don’t think anybody can sit here and watch football right now and watch our quarterback play and tell me he’s not an elite quarterback,” Lanning said.

Prior to the Ducks’ statement win over the Bruins that day, Nix’s comeback story was still in the middle chapters. He had put up some big numbers through the first seven games of the season, sure. But because of his rocky performance against Georgia in Week 1, there was still a national perception that Nix was the same error-prone, erratic quarterback who had spent the past three seasons at Auburn.

Over the next six games, Nix put that notion to rest for good.

He delivered one of the most statically-impressive seasons in all of college football this fall.

Nix finished the year 294-for-409 passing (71.9%) for 3,593 yards, 29 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also ran for 510 yards on 89 carries (5.7 yards-per-carry) and 14 touchdowns.

Nix’s 2022 campaign with the Ducks was undoubtedly stellar. But where does it rank among the all-time seasons in program history? And how does it compare to the top quarterbacks in the country this year?

Here’s a breakdown.

All stats and records are via the University of Oregon record book, NCAA.com, and Pro Football Focus.

Oregon single-season leaders

Passing yards

1. Marcus Mariota (2014) — 4,454
2. Akili Smith (1998) — 3,763
3. Marcus Mariota (2013) — 3,665
4. Bo Nix — (2022) — 3,594

Passing touchdowns

1. Marcus Mariota (2014) — 42
2. Darron Thomas (2011) — 33
3. Akili Smith (1998) — 32
4. Marcus Mariota (2012) — 32
5. Justin Herbert (2019) — 32
6. Marcus Mariota (2013) — 31
7. Darren Thomas (2010) — 30
8. Justin Herbert (2018) — 29
9. Bo Nix (2022) — 29

Completion percentage

1. Bo Nix (2022) — 71.9%
2. Marcus Mariota (2012) — 68.5%
3. Marcus Mariota (2014) — 68.3%
4. Dennis Dixon (2007) — 67.7%

Rushing touchdowns by a quarterback

1. Marcus Mariota (2014) — 15
2. Bo Nix (2022) — 14

2022 college football leaders (FBS quarterbacks)

Passing yards

• 1 – Austin Reed (Western Kentucky) — 4,746
• 2 – Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) 4,641
• 3 – Caleb Williams (USC) 4,537
• ……..
• 14 – Bo Nix (Oregon) 3,594

Passing touchdowns

• 1 – Caleb Williams (USC) 42
• 2 – C.J. Stroud (Ohio State) 41
• 3 – Austin Reed (Western Kentucky) 40
• 3 – Clayton Tune (Houston) 40
• …….
• 15 – Bo Nix (Oregon) 29

Completion percentage

• 1 – Clay Millen (Colorado State) 72.2%
• 2 – Bo Nix (Oregon) 71.9%
• 3 – Grayson McCall (Coastal Carolina) 69.7

Passing efficiency

• 1 – C.J. Stroud (Ohio State) 177.66
• 2 – Hendon Hooker (Tennesee) 175.66
• 3 – Grayson McCall (Coastal Carolina) 171.38
• …….
• 7 – Bo Nix (Oregon) 165.67

Points responsible for per-game

• 1 – Caleb Williams (USC) 22.2
• 2 – Clayton Tune (Houston) 21.2
• 3 – Austin Reed (Western Kentucky) 21.1
• 4 – Bo Nix (Oregon) 20.5

Rushing touchdowns by a quarterback

• 1 – Bo Nix (Oregon) 14
• 2 – Riley Leonard (Duke) 13
• 3 – Malik Cunningham (Louisville) 12
• 4 – Dorian Thompson-Robinson (UCLA) 12
• 5 – Tyhier Tyler (Army) 12

Pro Football Focus “run” grade among quarterbacks

• 1 – Anthony Richardson (Florida) 84.8
• 2 – Michael Pratt (Tulane) 84.5
• 3 – Hendon Hooker (Tennesee) 84.4
• 4 – Jayden Daniels (LSU) 83.3
• 5 – Caleb Williams (USC) 82.9
• 6 – Bo Nix (Oregon) 82.3