Many Oregon fans became familiar with Travis Dye using one of two attributes: He was either “Troy Dye’s little brother” or “that guy who doesn’t wear gloves.”
Dye is a relatively undersized running back at 5-foot-10 and 190 lbs, but he doesn’t care. Whether it’s the bare hands or smooth mustache, “Baby Dye” has always done his own thing.
“I’ve never been one to care about what I have on or what my hair looks like or what anything looks like on me,” Dye said. “If it’s comfortable to me, I’m wearing it… It’s never about the looks for me.”
But the biggest growth of Dye’s career hasn’t been his ‘stache; it’s his leadership.
According to backup running back Byron Cardwell, Dye has helped teach him how to practice more effectively.
“Understanding my reads and pass pro and staying tight on your wall and paying attention in the meetings and everything,” Cardwell said. “Just little stuff to make me all-around better.”
After playing second fiddle to CJ Verdell in the running back room for three years, a Verdell injury has allowed Dye to excel in the spotlight. He’s seven carries away from passing his personal season high (140 as a freshman in 2018).
“He gets better and better all the time,” Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal said of Dye’s career-high rushing performance in the 26-16 win over Washington on Saturday. “He’s a game-changer. And he changed it in a lot of different ways.”
Dye’s 19-yard scamper put the game away on the first snap of the fourth quarter. In all, he racked up more yards on the ground (211) than Washington’s entire offense (166), but he remained more humble than ever.
“The ‘W’ means everything to me,” he said. “The performance is just a plus.”
He added: “All the credit goes to my linemen, to the preparation we made all week… I can’t say I did it myself or anything like that. We did it as a team; we all got 211 yards or whatever it was.”
When wild weather called for a more conservative offensive approach, the Ducks were ready.
Cristobal said, “The rain was coming down at such a high clip that it wasn’t gonna be easy throwing the ball,” but he had no problem “giving the ball to one of the best players in college football in Travis Dye behind that offensive line.”
“When you know you can run a ball down a team’s throat, it is the best feeling in the world,” Dye said.
This season, Dye ranks 30th in the nation in total rushing yards (820) despite being 50th in total carries (134). His 11 rushing touchdowns are tied for third in the Pac-12, and his 6.1 yards per carry trail only Oregon State’s BJ Baylor in the conference.
But Dye also adds another element: pass-catching. His 277 total receiving yards are more than every Oregon player except Devon Williams at the moment.
Each day Dye remains hyper-focused on the next game. His preparation is praised by coaches and teammates alike, especially Cristobal.
“Tremendous leadership skills, ability to make big plays in the most critical situations,” Cristobal said. “Travis is just scratching the surface of what he’s gonna be.”
His strong character certainly doesn’t hurt.
