It was a strange weekend in Oregon football, leaving some Oregon fans in a quandary.
The Ducks left Pullman with a 20-point victory over a Washington State team that many expected to roll over at the sight of the nation’s most prolific offense. The Cougars have been notoriously outmatched in the Pac-10 Conference in recent history, but their showing on Saturday gave Oregon fans something to mull over heading into a much-appreciated bye week.
The first concern on everyone’s mind has been the state of sophomore running back Kenjon Barner. The scary scene with Barner’s teammates, coaches and family members down on the field left many hoping for the best, but anticipating the worst, as Barner lay motionless on the turf at Martin Stadium.
Barner was released from the Pullman Regional Hospital with a concussion on Sunday, though his status for the remainder of the season is still unclear. This brings into question the possible redshirt removal of true freshmen running backs Dontae Williams and Lache Seastrunk.
Oregon coach Chip Kelly told reporters Sunday that the coaching staff had yet to discuss that scenario, but a move will likely be made before next Thursday’s matchup with UCLA if Barner is unable to return.
In addition to Barner’s concussion, issues surrounding sophomore quarterback Darron Thomas’ shoulder are still in question. Though Thomas mentioned he could have finished up the Washington State game, if necessary, the extent of his shoulder pain is still a mystery.
A slew of other injuries that sidelined many key Oregon players will be cleared up following the Ducks’ first open practice of the bye week on Saturday, Oct. 16.
Duck fans had other reasons to celebrate the arrival of the midway point this season, even with the bitter taste left after Oregon’s 43-23 win. Oregon enters a welcomed 12-day break from game play as the second-ranked team in the nation behind top-ranked Ohio State.
“It’s a long season,” Kelly told the Register-Guard on Sunday. “As you learn from Alabama, it means nothing if you go out and lose.”
“What we can control is how well we prepare for our next opponent … The task at hand is UCLA,” he said.
For the fifth straight week, Oregon finds itself in the top five in at least one major poll, coming in at No. 2 in both the AP and USA Today top-25 polls this week. Oregon received 15 first-place votes in the AP poll and six in the USA Today standings. The Ducks have never been ranked first, coming closest when they finished second in the final regular-season poll in 2001. They also ascended to No. 2 after defeating back-to-back top-10 teams in USC and Arizona State back in 2007.
Also in the national rankings, Oregon sits first in scoring (54.3 points) and total offense (567.0 yards) per game, while sophomore LaMichael James is the nation’s leading rusher with 169.6 yards per outing.
James is second in total rushing yards to Michigan’s Denard Robinson, whose tallied 991 yards and nine touchdowns to James’ 848 yards and nine scores.
Also in the top five nationally for that category are Nevada’s Vai Taua (837 yards, 11 scores) Connecticut’s Jordan Todman (761 yards, eight scores) and Nebraska’s Taylor Martinez (737 yards, 12 scores).
James, who recorded at least 25 carries for the third straight game on Saturday, will use the bye week the same way most of his Oregon teammates will — recovering. James nursed a toe injury that caused him noticeable discomfort against the Cougars, along with several other Duck players that left the game banged up.
Starting cornerback Anthony Gildon (knee), tight end Brandon Williams (hand), quarterback Daryle Hawkins (knee) and offensive tackle Everett Benyard III (ankle) will all continue to work their way back to full health in the coming week.
“It’s going to be a good week for us to get healthy,” senior wide receiver Jeff Maehl told the Register-Guard.
The team spent Monday watching film and dedicated some time in the weight room, then will practice in full pads Tuesday and Wednesday, and have a day off on Thursday, before returning to meetings and film sessions on Friday. The normal practice preparations for the Oct. 21 meeting with UCLA will begin on Saturday.
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