Oregon had 3:02 remaining on the clock on fourth-and-goal with the chance to pull ahead of its rival Oregon State. Following three straight rushing plays, in which Oregon quarterback Bo Nix handed the football off to running back Jordan James; the Ducks had one last chance to salvage their season and clinch a spot in the Pac-12 championship.
At the OSU three, Nix scrambled right before attempting a pass to wide receiver Troy Franklin in the end zone. The pass was incomplete and OSU went on to win 38-34.
After being inconsistent in his play at Auburn, this season at Oregon had been a revelation for Nix’s career. Running the ball became an important part of his game, and he’s leading FBS quarterbacks with 14 rushing touchdowns on the season.
Nix suffered an ankle injury in the Ducks’ Nov. 12 loss against Washington. It occurred on a tackle on third-and-5 where Nix failed to convert the first down which has proved to be a pivotal moment in the outcome of Oregon’s season.
The injury forced the Ducks’ backup Ty Thompson to come into the game on the following offensive possession. Four straight runs that ended with a turnover on downs led Washington to take the lead on a field goal that won the game.
In the last two games since coming back from injury, Nix has thrown two touchdowns and an interception. They were also the only two games the entire season that he had negative rushing yardage.
Although he was able to move better than he did in the previous game against Utah, the injury still forced Nix to find other ways than running the ball to impact the game. It limited the play options that Oregon was able to run in critical moments against Utah and OSU.
“I was better. I think I was able to move in the pocket a little bit more and feel a little bit more comfortable, but unfortunately, I still can’t take off running like I’d like to but that’s part of it with my injury,” Nix said. “It’s just trying to play the best in other areas.”
It is not the first time that Nix has had to navigate playing with an ankle injury. Last season, a broken ankle ended his Auburn career early.
“I’ve kind of been there and know what to expect with the ankle. I think that, to be honest, has kind of helped,” Nix said. “Just having been through it in the past, so I know what to expect with this one and know how to treat it and that stuff.”
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning has had nothing but praise for his quarterback all season, especially after the resiliency Nix has displayed through dealing with the injury.
“Bo’s been a consistent leader for us all year. He’s playing in a tough situation right now; he’s showed a lot of heart to do that,” Lanning said. “He’s been our leader all year and certainly proud of him and his effort.”
With Oregon out of the Pac-12 championship, the Ducks could end up playing the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 17. Nix has expressed his desire to finish out the season before making his decision on whether or not to exercise his extra year of eligibility.
“The way college football goes, a lot of things change from season to season, so you can’t worry about that until the season is completed and is finished,” he said. “We still have some football to play.”
