For No. 7 Oregon football (1-0), talent goes far beyond the starters — and Saturday’s home opener proved just how deep this roster runs. A 59-13 blowout over the Montana State Bobcats (0-1) reflected not only why the Ducks are a force to be reckoned with but also why this team’s running back game could help pave the way for another successful regular season in the Big Ten.
“Strength in numbers has got to be a weapon for us. Throughout the season, you never know who might go down and who might be up — we’ve also said if you’re good enough, you’re old enough,” head coach Dan Lanning said.
A whopping seven running backs got to see action at Autzen Stadium, and among them were true freshmen star duo Dierre Hill Jr. and Jordon Davison or widely otherwise known in the program as ‘Thunder and Lightning.’
A consensus 4-star recruit from Illinois, Hill is off to an exciting start for his career at Oregon, recording 43 rushing yards in four attempts.
It was a record-setting day for Davison — recognized nationally as a top running back recruit out of California — who became the first Oregon true or redshirt freshman to record three rushing touchdowns in a season opener. With only six carries on the day, Davison tallied just 26 rushing yards.
“I didn’t realize it was that many (touchdowns), but he’s proven to be a really good short-yardage back for us,” Lanning said.
Sixth-year senior Noah Whittington set the tone of the game with a rush up the middle for a 35-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage. After battling injuries and being overshadowed in previous years, Whittington made his debut as the starting running back for this Oregon team.
“These guys would tell you that Noah Whittington earned that every single day in practice and his leadership and how he’s worked,” Lanning said.
Whittington saw the most action in the game, leading the running back room with 10 rushes for 68 yards and a touchdown.
“In our room, we pride ourselves on our process,” Whittington said. “We do a lot of extra stuff as a group that I feel like helps us separate ourselves from the rest of the running back rooms in the country. And I feel like we put that on display today.”
It was surprising for many fans when transfer redshirt junior Makhi Hughes did not get his first carry until the third quarter. Despite being one of Oregon’s top transfer additions this offseason — with two consecutive seasons of over 1,000 rushing yards at Tulane — Hughes finished the game with just one rushing attempt.
Could it be that Lanning is holding back on Hughes for the latter half of the season? Across the board, Oregon’s running back room has depth and experience, and it is no surprise that this group has a lot to prove.
“Iron sharpens iron. Every day you gotta come to practice like you got something to prove, and I feel like that’s kind of been the expectation of the running back room since,” Whittington said.
As the season unfolds, now begs the question whether Oregon will continue to showcase a large rotation of running back talent or settle on a more defined depth chart.
“I think that’s going to be our challenge as a coaching staff. When you have a lot of talent, the question becomes: where do you give those snaps, where do you give those reps?” Lanning said.
