EUGENE -- Holding a kick is about as straightforward a job as exists in college football: catch the snap, place the ball to the kicker’s preferred angle and hold still.

Rare is the notoriety for a job well done by the middleman in arguably the game’s most rote sequence. Just ask former Oregon quarterback Nate Costa, the “best-ever” at the job according to Oregon coach Steve Greatwood, who manages field-goal units. Chances are, fans remember just two of Costa’s holds: his career-ending injury in 2010 and how he averted disaster with a deft scoop of a short-hopped snap against Arizona in 2009.

“Let’s face it, it’s mundane,” Greatwood said.

Ah, but not so much here. Former UO punter Jackson Rice’s graduation -- he took over after Costa’s injury and held for more than two seasons -- means an Oregon backup quarterback will take over. Starter Marcus Mariota is not an option, to avoid excessive contact. The creativity that makes UO’s holding job like few others, however, will remain.

“Dustin Haines is our holder, no ifs, ands or buts about that, he’s our holder,” Greatwood said. “What I like about him is he’s a great decision-maker. … He’s the leader of that team and he’s established himself as that guy.”

Greatwood said he “always preferred” a holder be a quarterback, but Rice’s rapport with kickers and athleticism never required a change. The job description hasn't, either: must be proficient at both the basics and the exotic.

“The way I look at it is if we can force a defensive coordinator to spend 10, 15 minutes extra during the course of a week of preparation getting his kids lined up for the different looks we give, that’s just less time they spend on our offense," he said. "Whether we actually run one or not … that’s time well served for us.”

The holder often stands in shotgun at the beginning of point-after attempts and reads the defense’s reaction to Oregon’s formation, which can typically be overloaded to one side. Typically, it leads to a regular PAT — 83 of UO’s 89 PAT scenarios ended in kicks last season.

But for every normal execution of a field goal or PAT, defenses must guard against the kind of conversion Rice pulled off in the 2012 season-opener against Arkansas State. After UO’s first touchdown of the 2012 season, he passed to the weak side of UO’s swinging gate formation to outside linebacker Dion Jordan, who ran in for the score behind a blocker.

The decision to either kick or try a conversion is wholly in the hands of the holder. Rice was 3-of-5 passing during conversion attempts last season (twice connecting with kicker Rob Beard). Jordan rushed for a conversion against Kansas State.

Five of UO’s six two-point conversion attempts last season came after UO scored its first touchdown of the game, against Arkansas State, Washington State, Arizona State, Oregon State and Kansas State.

“We put in all our swinging gates and fakes and whatnot and Dustin can execute those and I trust him completely to make the right decision,” Greatwood said.

Haines said his spring and summer was spent vying for the backup quarterback job, but also learning the kickers’ tendencies.

“We got a lot of good reps in the spring and now with (freshman) Matt Wogan coming in, I worked with him in the summer a little bit and I know how he wants it held.”

Unlike fellow redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Rodrigues, Jeff Lockie did not hold in high school. He said he’s picked up the position’s nuances “and make sure the ball’s down there, worst-case scenario.”

in Tucson, Ariz., in November 2009. With 6 seconds left in regulation, UO kicker Morgan Flint lined up for a kick to force overtime. The snap veered right of Costa, who opted to field the ball and put it down for the kick instead of run. The Ducks won two overtime periods later, putting themselves one win away from their first Rose Bowl in 15 years.

“I can talk them through it, but it’s such a split decision, it’s such a reactionary thing, whether they think they can keep it down or whether they can make a play with their feet,” Costa said. “It’s something Duck fans always talk about. It’s pretty cool to have a moment in history like that, and I do appreciate that.”

Just as the current group of holders appreciates any lessons he can impart on holding down a job like few others in college football.