On the first play of the second half against No. 24 Cal, Oregon redshirt freshman running back CJ Verdell took the ball from Justin Herbert, maneuvered between the battling offensive line and sprinted 74 yards down the field. He was eventually brought down on the 1-yard line, which set up another redshirt freshman running back, Cyrus Habibi-Likio, to score his sixth touchdown of the season and put Oregon up 35-10.
With senior running back Tony Brooks-James limited to kick returns due to an ankle injury, much of the running game was in the hands of freshmen.
Two of Oregon’s major freshman running backs, Travis Dye and Verdell, became the first pair of Oregon freshmen to each run for 100 yards in a game. Verdell had 106 yards on nine carries, while Dye had a 45-yard touchdown late in the first half to give Oregon a 14-10 lead, and ended with 20 carries for 115 yards.
Verdell injured his knee in the game, so Dye played for most of the second half and managed to earn his third 100-yard game of the season, tied for most in the Pac-12. Head coach Mario Cristobal believes Verdell should be healthy against Washington, especially with a bye week to recover.
Ducks running back CJ Verdell (34) dodges a hit. Oregon Ducks Football takes on UC Berkeley at California Memorial Stadium on Sept. 29, 2018. (Ben Green/Emerald)
Cristobal said he was glad to see Verdell bounce back from a rough finish against Stanford, when he fumbled on Oregon’s final drive.
“Very happy for him,” Cristobal said. “We know what kind of competitor he is, and we completely trust him, as we do Travis.”
With his older brother Troy as a leader on the defense, Dye has a lot of football in his blood. In the fifth game of his career, he rushed for 71 yards on eight carries in the first half. He has two touchdowns over 40 yards this season.
“I feel like I’m moving and grooving now,” Dye said. “I always try to keep the ball high and tight.”
Cal head coach Justin Wilcox, a former Oregon safety, said that Herbert and a consistent running game were key reasons for Berkeley’s loss.
“Elite quarterback and we didn’t play the run,” Wilcox told reporters. “The two long runs kill you.”
As a freshman, Dye is still learning from his mistakes. Late in the third quarter of the Cal game, he fumbled the ball, and it was recovered by the Golden Bears.
“I know Travis is probably beating himself up in the locker room,” Cristobal said. “And they’re two freshmen, and that’s okay. They’ve earned the opportunity to go.”
As the season goes on, the experience Dye and Verdell are getting — multiple touches in big games — should pay dividends for them down the road. Cristobal intends to keep using them and had positive things to say after Dye’s solid performance.
“Travis has done a great job since the day he’s gotten here,” Cristobal said. “That’s a pretty good bloodline of football players. Travis showed up big, and we’re going to continue to depend on him.”
Follow August Howell on Twitter @howell_august
