What today's injury report means for the Ducks

With Jayden Limar out today the Ducks will have to lean more heavily on Jordon Davison, Dierre Hill and Noah Whittington. It may serve to clarify a crowded running back room.
With Jayden Limar out today the Ducks will have to lean more heavily on Jordon Davison, Dierre Hill and Noah Whittington. It may serve to clarify a crowded running back room. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jayden Limar is ruled out today, according to the mandatory injury report from the Big Ten. That could prove an opportunity for the Ducks as fans will see what the attack looks like with Jordon Davison, Dierre Hill and Noah Whittington getting the carries.

Limar, 5-11, 205 from Lake Stevens, Washington is Oregon's most versatile back, a junior who pass blocks well, catches the ball out of the backfield and runs with both speed and power. He's well known within the group as an excellent teammate, a guy who connects with everyone.

He's second on the team in rushing with 42 carries for 249 yards, 5.9 yards a carry with a long run of 53 yards, the leading receiver among RBs with eight catches for 54 yards. He's a Swiss Army Knife who can do a bit of everything, but Hill is faster, Davison runs inside with more authority and Whittington breaks more tackles.

The run game should be a big asset today as Rutgers allows 4.87 yards per carry, ranking near the bottom of the Big Ten in run defense.

The other injury news that's significant is not a change in status but an update in progress. Evan Stewart and Trey McNutt are getting closer to a return to the lineup. The most likely scenario is that these two return to active duty in November, allowing them to play in four regular season games while preserving a redshirt.

That move would give the Ducks two very talented above-the-line players for the stretch drive of the season and the four most difficult games of the schedule, at Iowa, Minnesota, USC and at Washington, four teams in the upper half of the conference with a playoff spot on the line, adding depth when other teams are losing some.

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