The Oregon Ducks (4-1, 1-1) have a lot of injured players. Notably, quarterback Justin Herbert will be out for 4-6 weeks with a fractured collarbone.
The Oregon offense, with Herbert out, will face defenses that are focused on the running game. Last week, Cal committed extra men to stopping the run once Herbert left the game. They weren’t successful as the Ducks continued to dominate on the ground.
“Probably the most important part, got our pads down,” offensive line coach Mario Cristobal said.
“Credit to the running backs,” he added. “Those guys got downhill hard, and got downhill fast. When they work together like that, that’s a direction we want to go and certainly make an improvement in that way.”
Oregon will now face more loaded defensive fronts with Herbert out, a tactic the Ducks are familiar with.
“I think we’re going to see that every week regardless of whether Justin was hurt or what not,” Cristobal said. “I just think when you have a running back like Royce (Freeman), I think teams are always going to want to take that away first. … It’s common. We’re prepared.”
Kani Benoit was one of the running backs who exploded against Cal for a career high 138 yards. Oregon’s next opponent, No. 11 Washington State (5-0, 2-0), is a much better run defense.
“They’re good up-front,” Benoit said. “A lot of twists. A lot of stunts, so we just have to be keyed in on blocks.”
Benoit is also ready for a loaded defensive fronts in the future
“[Opponents have] already been doing that with our run game, so I don’t expect much of anything else,” he said. “I’m sure they’ll do that and we’ll find a gameplan to get around it.”
Injured players include Freeman, tight end Jacob Breeland, wide receivers Charles Nelson and Dillon Mitchell, among others.

Jacob Breeland practicing. Have yet to see Freeman or Nelson.
— Jack Butler (@Butler917) October 3, 2017

Freeman, Nelson and Mitchell were absent during the 20-minute period of practice open to the media on Tuesday.
Quarterback Taylor Alie was injured against Cal after replacing Herbert, but he was active in practice today. Freshman Braxton Burmeister will start is Alie is not ready to go.
 

Alie and Burmeister with the QB reps. pic.twitter.com/K6ySyO68ec
— Jack Butler (@Butler917) October 3, 2017

Follow Jack Butler on Twitter @Butler917