Cal coach Sonny Dykes: Mariota is better than Manziel

Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota's biggest fan may be the man tasked with trying to stop him Saturday.

California coach Sonny Dykes said Tuesday that Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota is bigger, faster and stronger than former Heisman trophy winner Johnny Manziel.

Cal welcomes No. 6 Oregon to town Friday night, and Dykes evidently thinks highly of the Ducks pivot.

"I think he's the best quarterback I've seen in a while," the coach told the Oakland Tribune's Jeff Faraudo. "He compares favorably to Johnny Manziel. Mariota's a bigger, faster, stronger version."

Unlike the gunslinging Manziel, known for taking reckless chances that have often resulted in spectacular plays, Mariota is more of a technician. As the news outlet pointed out, Manziel thew 22 picks in 863 attempts, while Mariota has thrown just 10 in 910 passes.

Dykes said Mariota is probably the best player in college football.

"He plays under control, he's not a reckless football player at all," said Dykes. "He manages the game well, but he's one of those players every time he touches the ball, he's capable of scoring."

Over the past two seasons, the 20-year-old Mariota has thrown just four interceptions, and they all came last year. This year he's thrown for nearly 2,000 yards, and still, the interception column is spotless. 

"He's a great dual-threat quarterback. He's patient, he really knows how to pick and choose when he's going to take off and run and when he's going to sit in the pocket and throw," Cal safety Stefan McClure said.