Losing three of the last four games, the Oregon football team has been in a rut. Whether it’s due to a stagnant offense or an injured defense is up for debate.

Heading into senior night hosting Arizona State, the Ducks were destined to change that fortune. The offense was moving the ball without having to rely on wide receiver Dillon Mitchell. The defense was holding its own in stopping two potential conference All-Americans in wide receiver N’Keal Harry and running back Eno Benjamin.

The score was 31-29 in Oregon’s favor when quarterback Justin Herbert threw an interception with three minutes and 27 seconds left, setting up a potential game-winning drive for the Sun Devils.

On third-and-9, quarterback Manny Wilkins dropped back to pass and junior linebacker La’Mar Winston Jr. took him down for a sack, knocking the ball out for junior defensive end Gus Cumberlander to recover.

Not knowing he forced a fumble, he ran to the sideline and was informed that his sack was much more than that.

“I really didn’t know it was a strip sack,” Winston Jr. said. “I thought it was just a sack. When I went to the sideline, and they told me about it, I did a quick sprint down and back just because I was so excited and thankful. I just wanted to win, really.”

Winston Jr., a Portland native, uses his big personality and big plays to take on an important leadership role within this Oregon defense, while also making up for the loss of numerous important players.

“He’s a great kid,” senior outside linebacker Justin Hollins said. “He has great potential, great athletic ability, and he’s a great kid. So what he’s done, it’s unbelievable what he’s doing right now. Hat tip to him; he really out here balling.”

Winston Jr.’s versatility, matched with his ability to stay on the field, makes him one of the most crucial Ducks this season. So far this season, Winston Jr. has 27 tackles (2.5 for a loss) and a touchdown.

“La’Mar brings a lot of value to the table,” head coach Mario Cristobal said. “He’s a great special teams player as well. I think everyone is pleased with the way he’s practiced, and the things he has done at both positions.”

He recorded a season-high six tackles and his first career forced fumble to cement the Ducks’ victory against Arizona State.

He did his damage mostly from the outside linebacker spot, something he needed to learn when he arrived as a middle linebacker in Eugene for the 2016 season.

Winston Jr. remains at outside linebacker, but the possibility of playing in the middle is now a reality with numerous injuries in that position. Both Kaulana Apelu and Isaac Slade-Matautia are sidelined, while Troy Dye, Adrian Jackson and Sampson Niu have been hampered in past games.

“I just try to play harder,” Winston Jr. said. “Next man that drops down, I try to go harder just because I know that we need to try and make up for a lot of the lost players.”

With all the injuries, inexperienced players have been forced into the lineup, making Winston Jr. a vital leader.

“My teammates really look to me for communication,” Winston Jr. said. “I study a lot of things I can yell out while I’m on the field just so that they know what’s coming. A lot of my teammates look to me because I dive into the film and everything. I’m really loud and I talk a lot. That comes along with it.”

Leadership is not new to Winston Jr. He won Oregon’s Len Casanova Leadership Award his sophomore season, which is voted on by teammates. At Central Catholic High School, he played a major part on the 6A State Championship-winning team during his junior season.

“He was able to talk to people, recognize what people were bringing to the team,” Central Catholic head coach Steve Pyne said. “I think that helped. His personality helped kind of crossover different cliques, if you will — different groups of people that ran together. I think he was respected by everybody because he would recognize people’s contributions to the team.”

Winston Jr.’s ability to lead is just one of the benefits of his charismatic nature. Central Catholic teammate and current Oregon safety Brady Breeze said Winston Jr. keeps spirits high after a tough workout with some great dancing in the locker room.

His favorite memory, however, came last week in the game against Arizona State.

“This one guy, after the play, shoves La’Mar in the chest, and he stands up, and he just flexes on the guy,” Breeze said. “And you can just see him nodding his head, and he didn’t push him back or do anything stupid. The other guy almost got a flag for it because La’Mar was just standing back, flexing.”

The game-winning forced fumble against Arizona State was not the first time Winston Jr. was involved with a fumble. On Sept. 29, in Berkeley, California, Winston Jr. recovered a fumble forced by defensive end Drayton Carlberg and returned it for a touchdown.

“I didn’t expect, in my wildest imagination, something like that,” Winston Jr. said after the 42-24 victory over Cal. “I’m gonna have to take Drayton to dinner all next week. … The big dogs, they always eat together. I’ma see where he wants to go. It’s on me.”

Unlike Winston Jr., Carlberg was well aware the linebacker caused a fumble.

“I hit the guy, and I was on the ground, and I look up and see La’Mar just take off,” Carlberg said postgame. “I was like ‘Thank the Lord, man.’ … I got up and just threw my hands up when I saw La’Mar. I knew no one was going to catch him because it’s La’Mar Winston Jr. He’s a freak athlete.”

Carlberg has not yet received his dinner, but Winston Jr. is preparing for quite the repayment.

“I got to save my money up,” Winston Jr. said. “That’s a big deal for me. I know Drayton’s gonna want something really expensive. So I’m gonna have to save that, get a couple stipends, and take him out somewhere nice.”

Follow Maverick Pallack on Twitter @mavpallack