Last week when the Oregon Ducks beat the Washington State Cougars 38-24, Bucky Irving was the story. First because of his 15 carries for 129 yards and two touchdowns and three catches for 51 yards and another score, then because of an injury scare late in the game.
Irving returned for Bo Nix’s final kneel-down to seal the victory and he is expected to play this week against No. 13 Utah.
Head coach Dan Lanning said of Irving and teammate Khyree Jackson, “I think those guys will be good to go this weekend.” He added, “They were all out there with practice today.
Lanning had commented that Irving seemed to be okay on Saturday in the post-game press conference, citing the fact that Irving returned for the final play of the game. It wasn’t a meaningful snap, but Lanning likely wouldn’t have let an injured Irving back into the game.
Irving has been a focal point for Oregon’s great offense with 649 rushing yards, 222 yards receiving, and eight total touchdowns. The Ducks are favored by 6.5 points over Utah. Last week the Utes beat USC in LA on a game-winning touchdown drive by Bryson Barnes, who regained the starting quarterback job.
As with most injuries in college football, it will likely be a game-time decision, but Irving is trending to play and that is good news for Oregon. If everything is alright in warmups, he’ll be out there against the Utes.
Bucky Irving injury status:
With no news since the middle of the week, it appears Irving’s status is PROBABLE. He is expected to play against Utah.