Field Level Media
23 Nov 2022, 14:10 GMT+10
Oregon coach Dan Lanning isn't tipping his hand, especially when it comes to quarterback Bo Nix's health, entering his first rivalry game against Oregon State on Saturday in Corvallis, Ore.
Lanning said Nix would continue to undergo treatment on his injured right foot and be evaluated on a dailybasis.
Nix played in the No. 9 Ducks' 20-17 victory against Utah last Saturday, though he barely practiced during the week. He completed 25 of 37 passes for 287 yards and one touchdown with one interception.
"We'll see," Lanning said of Nix's availability for the regular-season finale. "We have a great medical staff, they do a good job. Bo understands, playing the game for a long time, he understands the way his body feels. Obviously he was able to go out there on Saturday, but we keep evaluating as we get closer to each game."
The Ducks (9-2, 7-1 Pac-12) can clinch a berth in the conference title game against No. 6 Southern California and keep alive their slim hopes for a spot in the College Football Playoff with a victory against the No. 21 Beavers (8-3, 5-3).
Nix isn't the only Oregon player with health concerns. Starting center Alex Forsyth missed last week's game because of a right shoulder injury, fellow offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson left after sustaining a leg injury, and receiver Chase Cota has missed the past three games with an undisclosed ailment.
"We have a lot of tough kids," said Lanning, who declined to discuss the status of those three players. "It's that time of year when you're banged up and you're hurting and it's not Week 1 anymore. We have a lot of guys that are banged up."
Beavers coach Jonathan Smith announced that quarterback Ben Gulbranson, who has started the past six games and gone 5-1 with Chance Nolan sidelined due to a neck injury, would remain the starter for the remainder of the season.
Gulbranson has thrown for 1,005 yards and eight TDs with just one interception since taking over. His lone loss was a 24-21 setback at Washington, which is now ranked No. 13.
Gulbranson completed 15 of 21 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown in a 31-7 victory last Saturday at Arizona State.
"He's gotten better each week," Smith said of Gulbranson. "Competition is healthy, so whenever Chance gets healthy again, or next year even, Ben's gonna have to compete."
Freshman running back Damien Martinez rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns against the Sun Devils, his fifth consecutive game with more than 100 yards on the ground. That's the longest streak by a Beavers player since Steven Jackson had a six-game stretch in 2003.
"He won't go down easy," Smith said of Martinez. "He's getting to the line, guys are starting to hang, he's making guys miss, he's pushing the pile, he's finishing runs."
While Smith was reluctant to talk about the Oregon game until this week, his players have shown no such reservations.
"I've been thinking about the Ducks (since) before the season," Oregon State linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold said. "We're ready for that."
--Field Level MediaGet a daily dose of Utah Independent news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Utah Independent.
More InformationGENEVA, Switzerland: A new United Nations report alleges that dozens of global corporations are profiting from and helping sustain...
LONDON, UK - Lawmakers in the United Kingdom have voted overwhelmingly to proscribe the direct-action group Palestine Action as a terrorist...
DHARAMSHALA, India: The Dalai Lama is set to address a significant three-day conference of Buddhist leaders this week, coinciding with...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: In a significant ruling last week, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Texas law requiring age verification for users...
ISTANBUL/PARIS/BRUSSELS: As searing temperatures blanket much of Europe, wildfires are erupting and evacuation orders are being issued...
VENICE, Italy: Over the weekend, hundreds of protesters marched through the narrow streets of Venice to voice their opposition to billionaire...
NEW YORK, New York -U.S. stock markets closed with broad gains on Thursday, led by strong performances in U.S. tech stocks, while European...
LONDON/STOCKHOLM: The Persson family is ramping up its investment in the H&M fashion empire, fueling renewed speculation about a potential...
PARIS, France: L'Oréal is making a fresh play in the booming premium haircare segment with a new acquisition. The French beauty conglomerate...
MENLO PARK, California: Robinhood is giving European investors a new way to tap into America's most prominent tech names — without...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks diverged on Wednesday for the second day in a row. The Standard and Poor's 500 hit a new all-time...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: The U.S. dollar continues to lose ground, weighed down by growing concerns over Washington's fiscal outlook...