Rick Bowmer /The Associated Press file

BOISE, Idaho Oregon Ducks junior Jeremiah Masoli is an old-school quarterback wrapped in a new-age offense.

Masoli needed less than four months last year to develop from a little-known reserve into the Ducks gritty leader. He did it by shrugging off a concussion, bulldozing defenders and sparking a season-ending, four-win surge that pushed Oregon to No. 10 in the nation.

His signature moment came in the Holiday Bowl when he lowered his shoulder and flattened an Oklahoma State safety on his way to a 41-yard touchdown run. It was a stunning play from a guy recruited because of his passing ability.

Masoli, though, knew something others didnt. He learned about the hard-nosed approach football requires while growing up.

Thats part of me being a tough, physical runner is definitely part of my game, he said. Im a quarterback who can run like a fullback.

And he carries a fullbacks attitude into the Ducks opener, which is Sept. 3 against Boise State at Boises Bronco Stadium.

Masoli was famously knocked out of the Boise State game last year at Autzen Stadium in Eugene on a helmet-to-helmet hit by Broncos safety Ellis Powers. The hit which came on the Ducks 14th offensive snap and drew a 15-yard penalty has been a rallying point for Duck fans. The Broncos took advantage of the favored Ducks deteriorating quarterback situation in a 37-32 victory.

The loss still frustrates Masoli he called it embarrassing in an interview this summer but the hit doesnt.

He recovered from the concussion quickly enough to play the next week.

Thats just something I let go, Masoli said. Its just football. Fifty years back, that wasnt even a penalty.

Fifty years back, Masoli would have fit right in.

He definitely is not your prototypical, modern-day quarterback. He stands 5 feet 11 inches and weighs more than 220 pounds a build more commonly associated with running backs and operates a spread offense that requires dual-threat ability.

Hes just a perfect fit for that offense, Boise State coach Chris Petersen said. They spread you out, and that creates one-on-one running matchups. Not only does he have very quick feet and good speed, but hes a physical runner as well. Its just a whole different dimension in an offense when a quarterback runs like he does.

Oregon recruited Masoli based on his passing ability. He tossed 30 touchdowns while leading City College of San Francisco to a national title as a freshman in 2007.

He had a tremendous arm, a great release and great feel in the pocket, said first-year Oregon head coach Chip Kelly, who was the Ducks offensive coordinator last year.

Masoli joined the Ducks last summer but missed much of fall camp because of a wrist injury. Redshirting was a possibility.

That changed when Oregon lost its top two quarterbacks to injuries. Masoli and true freshman Chris Harper were slated to share the job in the fourth game of the season, against Boise State.

Masoli got knocked out. Harper was ineffective. And true freshman Darron Thomas, inserted in the second half, threw three touchdown passes in a furious Oregon rally.

That day it was easy to envision Thomas as the quarterback of the future. But it was Masoli who seized control of the job. He rushed for 170 yards against UCLA and 97 against California while learning Kellys offense in pieces.

He was forced to play probably sooner than we wanted him to play, Kelly said. It was on-the-job training.

That training paid off down the stretch. In the seasons final four games, Masoli accounted for 14 touchdowns and threw just one interception accumulating a 170.75 efficiency rating. He earned Holiday Bowl offensive MVP honors with 258 passing yards, 106 rushing yards and a total of four touchdowns against No. 13 Oklahoma State.

In the games at the end, he let everybody know he should be the starter, Oregon senior tight end Ed Dickson said.

The Holiday Bowl and in particular his powerful, jaw-dropping run gave Masoli a national profile. Hes a trendy pick as the best quarterback in the Pac-10 this season.

Not bad for a guy nobody wanted just two years ago.

Its almost a dream come true, Masoli said. Im not there yet.

He envisions a more complete Ducks offense in 2009. They ranked second in the nation in rushing and seventh in both yards and points last season.

Our passing game will definitely be better, he said.

His goal: Complete 70 percent of his passes. Last year, he hit 56.9.

Add in one of the nations scariest rushing attacks, and that would make the Ducks almost unstoppable.

Thats the point, Masoli said. We want to be unstoppable.