2. Travis Dye proved he can be ‘that guy’
The news of CJ Verdell going down during the Stanford game and suffering a season-ending injury hit Eugene hard. The Ducks were going to miss their top offensive weapon and he was one of the top Heisman candidates in the country after the Ohio State win.
Oregon still had a quality backup in Travis Dye but some were worried that he may not be able to carry the load as the lead back because he hasn’t had to do that much throughout his career.
Friday evening’s performance was a good indication that he’s built for a lead role and he’s not going to shy away from pressure. He finished the game with 19 carries for 145 yards and a touchdown and it was clear that he wasn’t backing down from the lead role. The Ducks have other complementary backs, but they’ll be just fine without Verdell.
When the offense needed some yards, Dye picked them up and he was a serious weapon in the pass game as well, catching seven passes for 73 yards as well.
Over 200 all-purpose yards in his first game without Verdell? Not too shabby.