Oregon Ducks Receive Major Injury News on ESPN's College GameDay

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Oregon Ducks wide receivers Dakorien Moore and Gary Bryant Jr. are both OUT against the USC Trojans on Saturday. ESPN's Pete Thamel reported the news that many Ducks fans feared as part of the ESPN's College GameDay broadcast in Eugene.
Moore suffered a non-contact knee injury in practice, and the star freshman has not played since Oregon's game against Wisconsin on Oct. 25. Saturday will mark Moore's third game missed.

For Bryant Jr., the former USC Trojan turned Oregon Duck hurt his ankle against Iowa. He was carried off the field in the first half, but Bryant Jr. was able to walk into the locker room on his own power. He did not return to the game, and he did not play in the Ducks' win over Minnesota.
Oregon's offense certainly takes a hit without two top receivers in the game, especially with star receiver Evan Stewart sidelined since the spring. However, the Ducks have shown that they can rely on tight end Kenyon Sadiq and wide receiver Malik Benson to compliment a dominant ground game, led by running backs Noah Whittington and Jordon Davison.
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On College GameDay, Oregon coach Dan Lanning was interviewed by the cast, and he spoke about the team's mentality when it comes to handling injuries. Specifically, Pat McAfee asked Lanning how Oregon's running backs have stepped up:
"It plays back into what we said to our team before the season started. Strength the numbers, right? And if you're good enough, you're old enough. We've had 22 touchdowns this year by true freshman. So you get the opportunity to go out there in the field execute, you don't want to wait for your opportunity, you want to be ready for it. Those three backs, they were ready for their opportunity, and they've taken advantage of it. And we got a bunch of guys across the board, next man up, let's go attack. And when that moment's come, they've attacked. They've been unbelievable," Lanning said.
According to DraftKings, Oregon is currently favored by 10.5 points over USC.

With high stakes on the line for both teams, one could argue a College Football Playoff game is being played in Autzen Stadium on Saturday. The Ducks' receiver room won't be at full strength, but oddsmakers seemingly still have confidence in Oregon to get the job done against the Trojans.

Charlie Viehl is the deputy editor for the Oregon Ducks, Colorado Buffaloes, and USC Trojans on SI. He has written hundreds of articles for SI and has covered events like the Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff Quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl. While pursuing a career in sports journalism, he is also a lifelong musician, holding a degree in Music and Philosophy from Boston College. A native of Pasadena, California, he covered sports across Los Angeles while at Loyola High School and edited the Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program’s magazine at BC. He is excited to bring his passion for storytelling and sports to fans of college athletics.