Ducks Roundtable: Response to John Boyett Injury
By Brian Spaen
Today we learned that the Oregon Ducks have lost John Boyett for the rest of the season. According to the Oregonian, the safety announced he will have season-ending surgery.
Nov 26, 2011; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks free safety John Boyett (20) against the Oregon State Beavers during the first half at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Z. Rider-US PRESSWIRE
Let’s see what our staff had to say on the subject. What will the Ducks do to make up for the loss, or can they do anything? How much will it affect the team going forward?
Mike: Whenever you lost a huge cog in whats largely known as a passing league it will hurt. I’m one who believes that the next man on the list must step up and get the job done again this weeks opponent helps in getting someones feet wet.
Joe: I have no idea. John Boyett is one of the most important players to his respective team in college football, and the Ducks have lost a leader, playmaker, and safety net on defense. But the good news is that Avery Patterson played well against the Bulldogs, so we do have a good replacement at the rover. But still, it’s hard to describe losing a leader and player of Boyett’s caliber; almost as hard as it is to replace him.
Ricky: Not really much you can do if you are the Ducks besides telling the next man on the depth chart to step up. The sliver lining might be that the next opponent is not the USC Trojans. Without Boyett in the lineup, the USC-Oregon game would favor the Trojans with Barkley, Woods, and Lee.
Raymond: An injury to a starter is huge but that just means the next man up has a chance to show what he can do. It could be good or bad, you might find a potential star that you really didn’t know of previously.
Brian: I don’t believe it will crumble the defense. Dion Jordan is still a beast, contributing eight tackles in the previous game and likely the leader of that side of the ball now if he wasn’t already. With Tennessee Tech next up, Chip Kelly can play with who he believes is ready to step up in that position. You can’t replace Boyett, but you can put a band-aid on the wound.
Coming up today: Oregon’s passing attack, De’Anthony Thomas, and conference depth.
Each week, the staff at Autzen Zoo will react to Oregon, Pac-12 football, and other news that happens in the conference, along with a question from the college football landscape overall. Our current staff includes lead editor Brian Spaen, along with staff writers Mike Vamosi, Raymond Mencke, Jr., Ricky Widmer, and Joe Soriano.