Injuries Test Oregon's Youth Early Against Fresno State

The Ducks secured the win but some players got dinged up along the way.

Author:
John Rustik
Publish date:
Sep 6, 2021 12:24 AM EDT

Injuries have hurt the Ducks early in this season, but there’s reason to be hopeful about some of them.

Week 1 for Oregon was not a performance that was as dominant as they would have liked. The game saw the Ducks lose some of their key defensive players to injury. Here’s what we know about the injured players as well as players who can step up in their absence.

Kayvon Thibodeaux: Foot/ankle sprain

Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux is recovering from a left foot/ankle sprain from the first half of their game against the Bulldogs. He returned to the game after getting his taped upm but was pulled from the game before the conclusion of the first half. Mario Cristobal seems to be optimistic that he will be ready to return soon.

“Well, he got rolled up on. Beyond that I know it’s a sprain,” Cristobal told reporters during his postgame press conference. “We’re optimistic that it’s nothing too serious.”

It's looking likely that Thibodeaux will be cleared to play against the Buckeyes, but in the case that he isn't able to go, young players got a small taste of the action on Saturay.

If Thibodeaux cannot play this, the presumed starter for the Ducks could be freshman Bradyn Swinson. After the projected top-five pick was taken out of the game, Swinson filled in his spot. Swinson ended the afternoon with five total tackles including one tackle for loss and 1 sack.

Jake Shipley, who's listed as the second-string JOKER behind Thibodeaux, also saw minutes during the game following his exit.

Dru Mathis: Knee

The most notable injury from the week 1 contest was the loss of Dru Mathis. Although there is not an official timetable for his return, it's safe to assume that he will not be playing against the Buckeyes.

Mathis went down in the first quarter with a knee injury. Unlike his teammate, Mathis was unable to return to the game at all. He returned to the sideline with crutches and a knee brace on.

“I spoke with him briefly. We just gotta get him examined and pictures of that thing to see what it looks like,” Cristobal said regarding the injury. “Hopefully–I don’t think it’s the real bad side, but I think he may have hurt it pretty good. We’ll see.”

In his place, Justin Flowe stepped up, and he did so in a big way. He flew all over the field and would likely get the start. In what should be viewed as his college debut for the Ducks, he accounted for 14 total tackles, with 5 of them being solo tackles. The freshman is currently tied for the ninth-most tackles in the league. With Mathis expected to miss extended time, it will give Flowe some time to establish himself and get settled into Tim DeRuyter's defense.

Mase Funa: Right Leg (Did return)

Funa was being tended to throughout the game by the medical staff. Despite getting looked at throughout the game and spending time on the bike, it does not appear that the Ducks will have to play without him. Despite taking a couple of knocks, he continued to play throughout the game against Fresno State and was able to play through the end.

Moving forward, it will be optimal for the Ducks if Funa is completely healthy. He was important for Oregon, as the linebacker recorded two tackles and also recovered the first fumble of the game, which led directly to CJ Verdell punching in the first touchdown of the game. He also applied the initial pressure that helped set up Brandon Dorlus' sack late in the fourth quarter.

Sophomore Adrian Jackson could be a replacement for Funa if he is unfit to play against Ohio State. Adrian Jackson ended the game against Fresno State with 1 tackle. Redshirt freshman Treven Ma'ae, who has complete transformed his body and added a ton of weight since enrolling at Oregon (6'4", 267 pounds), saw significant snaps Saturday after flashing in the spring game and the first scrimmage of fall camp that was open to the media.

Other young players that saw significant snaps include defensive lineman Sua'ava Poti (Redshirt freshman), Jayson Jones (freshman), and Kristian Williams (redshirt freshman).

Should the youth be asked to step up and take on a larger role in Columbus, they won't be without game experience.