EUGENE, Ore. -- The most concrete assessment of Oregon's quarterback situation comes in the question: Who should start?

Because what's really being asked there is whether a three-year backup who knows the playbook inside and out is better than a guy who has been on campus just over a month and has a broken finger.

And if that's even a question then the answer is Vernon Adams Jr., hands down (whether his health can accommodate that is another question and another conversation).

In the Ducks' recent 61-28 win over Georgia State, it became more evident than ever that Adams could be the difference this season between playing for a Pac-12 title and sitting at home.

What Adams has shown in two games -- one of which was with his broken finger -- is that he has the ability to extend plays, to create out of thin air, to do some of the things that Marcus Mariota did for Oregon a season ago.

"It was good for me to learn from Jeff and see him go through his progressions, his reads and lead the team," Vernon Adams said of sitting on the sideline against Georgia State. Getty Images/Rey Del Rio

"He might extend the play a little bit and it helps to get us open and helps to get us the ball a little more -- that's something that Marcus was so good at, to fix broken plays," Oregon wide receiver Devon Allen said. "Vernon is agile back there."

And the Ducks need that. They need agility. They need speed. They need improv.

Because the Oregon coaches can say (and have said) that the play calling really didn't change much against Georgia State or that the offense's identity goes unchanged with Lockie in the game instead of Adams.

And that might be true.

But the difference is in the potential of the offense, the potential of what happens with those play calls, the potential identity of this offense.

In Lockie the Ducks have a reliable -- if unspectacular -- game manager. On Saturday, he completed 74 percent of his passes, but only 43 percent of his third-down passes. There were no huge plays out of him -- only 44 percent of his passes gained a first down for the Ducks (the worst of any QB to play against Georgia State this year).

And against a team that had given up 752 passing yards in just two games, Lockie completed just five passes of 15-plus yards.

It was good … enough.

But in Adams, the Ducks have exciting potential, a risk-reward situation that seems safer as the year goes on as Adams gets closer to knowing what he should've known at the start of fall camp.

Maybe Adams -- broken finger and all -- would've done more than Lockie did against Georgia State. Maybe not.

But one thing is for certain, with a loss already on the schedule, the Ducks can't afford to have any "maybes" the rest of the year.

If it were up to Adams, he'd play this weekend (he said the same would've been true last weekend), but that's ultimately not his call to make.

But from the sidelines on Saturday Adams was able to watch a player who does know the playbook better, who knows the reads better, who knows the likes and dislikes of the receivers better than he does, which in the long run could be as much of a benefit as the recovery time for his index finger.

"I really saw a quarterback out there who was really knowing what he was doing, going through his reads and it was good for me," Adams said. "It sucked, obviously, being on the sideline not playing, but it was good for me to learn from Jeff and see him go through his progressions, his reads and lead the team."

It was good for Adams to see that for one weekend. But it's better for the team when he's the one out there.