As 21st-ranked Oregon prepares for a critical road test against USC in Los Angeles with significant Big Ten and College Football Playoff stakes, health concerns are beginning to mount across their offense. The unit had already suffered a major setback earlier in the week when head coach Dan Lanning revealed that offensive lineman Trent Ferguson would miss the remainder of the campaign due to a knee issue. Those physical ailments expanded on Friday, even as the squad bounced back from a surprising defeat at Oklahoma State.
Wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan was sidelined unexpectedly prior to kickoff against Portland State despite initially going through pre-match drills in gear. When action commenced, the key pass-catcher returned to the sideline in street clothes while utilizing crutches and wearing a protective boot on his left foot. “Got tweaked in pregame, have to get an evaluation to see what exactly that looks like,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said after the game. “I don’t know right at this moment.” The setback comes following a quiet outing in Stillwater where McClellan caught a single 20-yard pass, a stark contrast to his explosive season opener against Boise State where he recorded six receptions for 150 yards and a score.
Compounding the receiving corps’ issues, star tight end Jamari Johnson missed his second consecutive contest due to an undisclosed ailment. The senior from Inglewood, California, who snagged a touchdown against the Broncos in week one, observed warmups without pads and remained on the bench. Nevertheless, the Ducks experienced zero trouble dismantling winless Portland State (0-4) in an 84-0 rout, establishing a new offensive single-game scoring benchmark at home. “We have a better team,” Lanning said Friday of how his team rebounded. “And no disrespect for Portland State, but that’s the way it should look when we execute the way we should execute.”
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