The final game of Oregon football’s regular season has come and gone. The Ducks wrapped up the season with a 38-29 victory over their in-state rival Beavers. Now, they look onward to a rematch against the No. 14 Utah Utes in the Pac-12 Championship game on Friday.
The 2021 regular season gave Oregon fans much to cheer about. The Ducks had one of their biggest wins in recent years at Ohio State. Oregon has also managed to keep a 10-2 record while staying perfect at Autzen Stadium, where they haven’t lost since 2018. These players and moments all factored into the Ducks’ success this season.
Most Valuable Player: Kayvon Thibodeaux
Being a projected first round draft pick puts a target on your back. Being a projected number one pick makes teams scheme around you. That’s exactly what happened to Thibodeaux this season. Constant double teams and plays away from his side might have hurt his statistics, but he still made his presence known. While missing over two games, Thibodeaux managed to rack up six sacks. His constant pressure and relentless effort is what made him so valuable.
His involvement in senior day all but declares that this will be his final season at Oregon. The 2022 draft will be the third straight year with a Duck selected in the first round, as Thibodeaux is expected to follow after Justin Herbert and Penei Sewell.
Offensive Player of the Year: Travis Dye
One of the most overlooked components of value in a player is availability. Being available is one of many things Dye does for the team. In his fourth year with Oregon, Dye has yet to start the season atop the depth chart. This is due in major part to fellow running back CJ Verdell’s power running prowess.
Verdell has been the starter for the past few seasons and has not given any indication of letting up. An injury in week five sidelined the four-year starter, giving Dye a huge role through the latter half of the season.
Dye set a career-high in rushing yards this season (1,036). He also accounted for 16 touchdowns, four coming in a vital road victory over UCLA.
Defensive Player of the Year: Verone McKinley III
The defensive backs group was not a strong point for the Ducks looking ahead to the 2021 season. Losing four starters to the draft while also losing veteran Bennett Williams to injury made this one of the weaker spots on the team. But McKinley III was able to solidify this group all year by making big plays and clutch tackles, playing an all-important leadership role throughout.
McKinley III finished regular season play with 67 tackles and led the team with five interceptions. The Jim Thorpe finalist may have played his final game in Autzen Stadium and would leave as one of the best ballhawks in school history.
Freshman of the Year: Byron Cardwell
Verdell’s week five injury was detrimental to a team that lives by its run game. Dye was a more than suitable replacement, but that left another hole for the No. 2 spot. In came freshman Byron Cardwell, the former four-star out of California, who rushed for nearly 400 yards on the year.
Biggest Surprise: Jeffrey Bassa
Jeffrey Bassa was labeled a defensive back at the beginning of the year, rarely seeing time behind a group filled with veteran talent. Injuries opened up a pathway for Bassa to shine, and he didn’t shy away. Bassa was able to convert positions this year, switching over to the linebacker spot. In his time there, he swarmed ball-carriers while showing off his coverage skills in a new area of the field. The new swiss army knife for the Ducks left his mark this season and solidified a spot for upcoming years.
Best Single-Game Performance: CJ Verdell vs. Ohio State
In the biggest regular-season game in school history, no player was more important than Verdell. He led the team in rushing and receiving, and he was responsible for over half of Oregon’s points against Ohio State.
Best Team Performance: Oregon @ Ohio State
Verdell may have been the top performer against the Buckeyes in week two, but the victory wouldn’t have been possible without the entire team. Brown didn’t turn over the ball once in his two-touchdown performance, and the offensive line kept his jersey clean all day. As for the defense, they held the explosive Buckeyes to 28 points and forced a vital turnover with under 3 minutes left in the game. The entire team showed up to play and paved the way for an exciting 2021 season.
