Oregon running back Terrence Whitehead ran for a career-high 172 yards against Stanford on Saturday, but perhaps his most impressive feat of the afternoon came with the Ducks in control.
Oregon was up 21-0 in the early moments of the third quarter when the sophomore touched the ball for the third time of the second half.
He ran to the right side of the field but quickly reversed to the left and found a seam in the Stanford defense. He then went untouched for a 44-yard touchdown that capped an Oregon drive of just one play.
He ran 23 times against the Cardinal. That’s not a tough workload for the running back, but shows that his 7.5 yards per carry was well spent.
“Terrence ran well and the offensive line blocked well all day, setting the tempo for the game,” Oregon quarterback Kellen Clemens said.
Whitehead’s performance against the Cardinal signified his emergence as the running back the Ducks so desperately need.
When the Ducks are successful offensively, the key is balance. Clemens and senior Jason Fife can find any receiver when they have the defense on its toes. But when the defense can focus on one aspect of the Oregon offense — as Washington State and Arizona State both did earlier this season — Clemens and Fife become flustered and ineffective.
That’s where Whitehead becomes a key cog. He established himself on Saturday.
When Onterrio Smith went down late in the season, Whitehead stood up and became a capable running back.
When Smith left after the season, doubts as to Whitehead’s ability became apparent. There were worries he wouldn’t be able to be a starter so soon. After all, he sat out part of last season for academic reasons, so he had yet to experience Division I athletics on the full scale.
Saturday, all of that went out the window.
With Whitehead in tow against Stanford, the Oregon offense thrived.
“Going into this week, we wanted to establish the run,” Whitehead said. “To run this offense, we have to have a good running game.”
The last four games of the season, however, are where Whitehead will earn his stripes. When the Ducks were on top of the world at 4-0, he was visible, and so were the other Ducks’ runners.
With Washington coming up and a dangerous California team the week after that, he will need to be the featured back who can divert the offense’s attention. He doesn’t necessarily need to produce the Oregon points, but he will need to help Clemens and Fife lead the team into the end zone.
His qualities as a gamebreaker showed against the Cardinal, a team that had been ranked fourth in the Pac-10 and 17th nationally in rushing defense entering the game.
Against the Huskies and Golden Bears he will need to be that gamebreaker again. If he can, watch out. The Ducks could be headed to a higher bowl game than many think.
If he can’t, it could be a long four games.
Bet on the former.