Oregon running back suffered season-ending leg injury

Oregon running back CJ Verdell is expected to miss the remainder of the 2021 season with a lower leg injury, according to head coach Mario Cristobal, via On3’s Jarrid Denney. Verdell left Saturday’s 31-24 loss against Stanford with an apparent lower leg injury.

Verdell ran for 406 yards and six touchdowns, adding 74 receiving yards and a touchdown over five games before the injury. His biggest performance of the season came in Week Two against Ohio State, where Verdell picked up 195 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns on the way to an upset win.

Over his career, Verdell has 2,929 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns. He also has 610 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

With Verdell out for the remainder of the season, backup Travis Dye becomes the feature back. The junior running back has run for 382 yards and three touchdowns.

Other options include freshmen Trey Benson, Byron Cardwell and Seven McGee.

Another season-ending injury

Mario Cristobal also announced senior safety Bennett Williams will miss the remainder of the season with a broken fibula sustained against Stanford.

Williams transferred from Illinois in 2020, playing in 10 games over the past two seasons. Through the first four weeks of the year, Williams picked up 20 tackles. He also made three interceptions, including a pick six against Arizona

Sophomore Jamal Hill will be a key piece of the Oregon secondary after the injury. The versatile safety won Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week in 2020.

Update on offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead

Oregon offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead underwent surgery on Saturday for a non-COVID related medical issue, according to Oregonian reporter John Canzano. Moorhead is in a Bay Area hospital recovering from the operation.

The coach missed Saturday’s game against Stanford, which beat the Ducks 31-24 in overtime.

Moorhead spent four years as the head coach of his alma mater, Fordham, from 2012-15. From there he went on to become the offensive coordinator at Penn State before accepting the head coaching position at Mississippi State in 2018.

The Ducks are averaging 421.2 yards and 35.8 points per game (27th in the country) under his direction. Oregon will hope Joe Moorhead can make a speedy recovery from his surgery and rejoin them soon.

It seems unlikely he will be available when the Ducks take on California at 10:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. They will have to continue their quest to a Pac-12 title without the coach for the time being, and pray there is still a chance at the CFP.