MARCUS_MARIOTA_BRACE.JPG

Is this week that UO quarterback Marcus Mariota discards his bulky knee brace?

(Bruce Ely/The Oregonian)

SAN ANTONIO -- Five story lines to watch during the Alamo Bowl between No. 10 Oregon (10-2) and Texas (8-4) at the Alamodome:

1. Oregon's rush defense at linebacker: Oregon's inability to stop opponents from running the ball contributed greatly to the Ducks' dashed BCS title dreams, and UO will now try to defend Malcolm Brown of Texas possibly without starting weakside linebacker Derrick Malone, the team's leading tackler. Malone declared himself OK during the week but his position coach, Don Pellum, said Malone had actually barely practiced since the victory against Oregon State.

Malone wore a red, no-contact jersey in practices this week and has started all 12 previous games. He suffered an injured shoulder and knee in the final three weeks of the regular season.

"I don’t know," Pellum said when asked whether Malone would play. "He’s been down for a while and hasn’t done a whole lot (in practice). Until the trainers say that or until he walks out on the field, I don’t know. Often guys think they’re ready to play and can play and they haven’t practiced in a week or two weeks and it’s a lot different when you’re out there and it’s full speed and now all of a sudden you’re in positions that you haven’t been in and those areas are exposed."

2. A healthy Marcus Mariota: Oregon's redshirt sophomore quarterback said he is the healthiest he's been since suffering a partial tear of his MCL in late October. What that means is the Ducks regain Mariota's considerable threat to run. Mariota gained 88 percent of his rushing yards before the loss to Stanford, and Monday seems to be his best shot at returning to his early-season form. A big night from Mariota could help the Ducks break the single-season record for total offense from 2011, a record UO is 444 yards from breaking.

3. Josh Huff's heroics: The senior's touchdown won the Civil War, and now he has the opportunity to finish his career, in his home state, by breaking school records for receiving touchdowns and yards in a single season. He needs 88 yards to break the yards record, set 43 years ago, and two touchdowns to bust Jeff Maehl's 2010 mark. To get those records -- and a win -- he'll face stiff competition from Texas cornerbacks Quandre Diggs or Carrington Byndom, an all-Big 12 selection.

"The last time we were in Texas (against LSU) Josh was a little overemotional at the beginning of the game," Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said. "So we've talked about that a little bit, playing within him -- right on the fine line of that edge and still executing."

4. Line play: The matchup between Texas defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat, voted the nation's best, and Oregon tackle Tyler Johnstone has been circled for weeks, but see what Oregon defensive lineman Taylor Hart can do against a perilously thin Texas offensive line. Mack Brown joked that he "recruited four guys this week off the waiver wire" to patch holes because of absences there. Asked which Oregon linemen scared him most, Texas right guard Mason Walters mentioned Hart, who plays both end and tackle very well.

5. Who plays harder: Does Oregon want this game? The storyline of Nick Aliotti's retirement as defensive coordinator should add fire to the effort for Oregon's defense, but the Longhorns have their own Texas-sized reason to earn a win with the final game for Brown and staff.