Ex-Oregon RB Jonathan Stewart discusses Ducks before title game

Former Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart talks about the Ducks' run to the national championship game, what's changed at Oregon since he played there and the bet with Kelvin Benjamin that forced the former Florida State wide receiver to wear an Oregon jersey.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Oregon’s rise to the national title game didn’t happen overnight. Before Chip Kelly brought his all-speed everything offense and Mark Helfrich maintained and elevated it when Kelly left for the NFL, the Ducks built a strong foundation under Mike Bellotti, who compiled a 116-55 record in his 14 seasons.

One of Bellotti’s biggest recruits was a running back from Washington. Jonathan Stewart, who had more than 100 touchdowns in high school, chose Oregon despite overtures from some of the biggest programs in college football. Stewart had three very productive seasons at Oregon, and after he rusher for 1,722 yards his junior year, the Carolina Panthers selected him 13th in the 2008 NFL draft.

With the Panthers set to take on the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs on Saturday, SI.com spent a few minutes with Stewart to talk about Oregon and the Ducks’ upcoming game against Ohio State in the national championship.

SI: How did the jersey bet with Kelvin Benjamin go down?

Jonathan Stewart: That wasn’t my bet. That was Ed [Dickson] and Swoll Bones [Brandon Williams]. That was their bet against Kelvin. I’m not sure how it went down, but I saw it happen, and I had to take a picture.

SI: Do you guys have another one, with [former Ohio State players] Philly Brown or Andrew Norwell?

JS: No, not really, not yet. I’m pretty sure something will come up.

SI: Could you imagine you having to wear an Ohio State jersey if the Buckeyes end up winning?

JS: I’d never allow that to happen. I already lost a bet one time against Brandon LaFell a couple years ago with LSU, and I had to wear an LSU jersey. It made me feel really uncomfortable.

Roundtable: Who has the edge entering the national title game?

​SI: Where’d you watch the Rose Bowl?

JS: At my house.

SI: Alone?

JS: Yeah. Just turned on the TV in my bed.

SI: Did you expect them to play the way they did?

JS: In all honesty, they have the capability to put up as many points as they want. The defense showed up and played really well, and I think that was the difference in why the score looked the way it looked.

SI: Do you have any plans set up for Monday? There’s obviously a pretty big game you have to worry about on Saturday first.

JS: Not yet. I’m just trying to focus on the Seahawks.

SI: Do you expect Oregon to come out and play the same type of game against Ohio State?

JS: I think it’s going to probably be a little bit more energy. It’s the national championship and it’s the first one in the playoff. The last national championship we played, we went out and lost. To Cam. [Stewart points to former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, standing at his locker on the other side of the room.] There’s a lot riding on this. Marcus Mariota, as great of a player as he is, he’s going to lead that team.

SI: You were instrumental in the rise of Oregon football. What are you impressions of what Oregon has been able to do the past few seasons?

JS: It’s crazy. I mean, from the jerseys to the facility to how fast they run their offenses now. I thought it was fast when I was there and I thought we had a lot of jerseys when I was there. I thought our facilities were off the chain. It’s jumped up 10 notches maybe even more since I’ve been gone. That just shows the greatness of what Oregon is trying to become.

• RICKMAN: Ohio State's daunting task: How to stop Marcus Mariota

SI: When was the last time you were back? Did it feel different?

JS: Two years ago for the spring game. It still feels like Oregon, but it’s just upgraded.

Oregon's Road to the National Championship

Oregon 62, South Dakota 13 (Aug. 30)

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Oregon cruised in its season opener, getting four touchdowns from Marcus Mariota and dropping 41 points in the first half.

Oregon 46, Michigan State 27 (Sept. 6)

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Michigan State scored 24 points in the second quarter to bring a 24-18 lead into halftime before Oregon ended the game on a 28-3 run. Mariota threw three touchdown passes.

Oregon 48, Wyoming 14 (Sept. 13)

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Mariota had four total touchdowns and went 19-of-23 through the air as the Ducks scored 41 unanswered points in the second and third quarters.

Oregon 38, Washington State 31 (Sept. 20)

Dean Hare/AP

Ducks coach Mark Helfrich called Mariota's game "ridiculous" after the Oregon quarterback threw for 329 yards and five touchdowns in the team's first road test. Mariota also led the game-winning nine-play, 79-yard drive that ended in a six-yard touchdown pass to Keanon Lowe.

Arizona 31, Oregon 24 (Oct. 2)

Steve Dykes/AP

Oregon's only loss off the season came at the hands of Arizona, which upset the Ducks for the second straight season. Mariota caught a 26-yard touchdown pass on a halfback pass, but Oregon was unable to overcome the 24-14 lead Arizona brought into the fourth quarter.

Oregon 42, UCLA 30 (Oct. 11)

John W. McDonough/SI

Oregon rebounded from its only loss of the season by beating UCLA in the Rose Bowl. The Bruins made things a little interesting when they shrunk the Ducks' 42-10 lead to 42-30 with 2:47 remaining. Mariota scored four total touchdowns while Royce Freeman rushed for 121 yards and two scores.

Oregon 45, Washington 20 (Oct. 18)

Ryan Kang/AP

The Ducks won their 11th straight over the Huskies as Freeman rushed 29 times for 169 yards and four touchdowns.

Oregon 59, Cal 41 (Oct. 24)

Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

Mariota threw five touchdowns, and Byron Marshall and Dwayne Stanford each had 100-yard receiving games as the Ducks picked up another road win. Freeman rushed 22 times for 112 yards and two touchdowns.

Oregon 45, Stanford 16 (Nov. 1)

Ryan Kang/AP

Stanford had won two straight against Oregon coming into this season, but Mariota scored four total touchdowns as the Ducks pounced on the Cardinal early.

Oregon 51, Utah 27 (Nov. 8)

Boyd Ivey/Icon Sportswire

The tide shifted early and dramatically as Oregon's Joe Walker pounced on the football after Utah's Kaelin Clay nonchalantly dropped it a yard before crossing the goal line. Walker returned the fumble 100 yards for a touchdown, tying the game at 7-7. It was the closest the Utes would come from that point on.

Oregon 44, Colorado 10 (Nov. 22)

Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire

The Ducks had no trouble with the Buffaloes, taking a 27-point lead into halftime and outgaining Colorado 597-226 for the game. Mariota scored four total touchdowns.

Oregon 47, Oregon State (Nov. 29)

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The 118th playing of the Civil War was really no contest -- the Ducks scored 30 points before the Beavers got on the boards and Mariota totaled six touchdowns (four through the air).

Oregon 51, Arizona 13 (Dec. 5)

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Oregon gained vengeance on Arizona with a dominant outing in the Pac-12 championship, scoring 23 unanswered points before opening a 44-7 lead through three quarters. The Ducks outgained the Wildcats 627-224 with a nicely balanced attack (326 yards passing, 301 rushing).

Oregon 59, Florida State 20 (Jan. 1)

Robert Beck/SI

After leading by just five at halftime, the Ducks forced four turnovers in the third quarter and ended the Rose Bowl on a 34-0 run to rout the Seminoles and reach the national championship. Mariota contributed 400 yards of offense and three touchdowns.