Oregon loses a number of defenders in the Oregon State game

Oregon finished off Oregon State in the Civil War without two of its top defenders on Saturday. Linebacker Noah Sewell was injured early in the third quarter. According to Zachary Neel of DucksWire, Sewell came out of the injury tent to grab his helmet. A trainer stopped him and took his helmet from him. Trainers were seen working on Sewell’s shoulder earlier in the game and it appears he won’t be coming back in.

The broadcast on ESPN showed Sewell with a towel draped over his head on the Oregon sideline with his football uniform still on but no pads or helmet.

Oregon defensive back Mykael Wright was also injured in the game and has spent several minutes in the medical tent with trainers. Dontae Manning was inserted into the game in Wright’s place. Wright is third on the Ducks in tackles for the 2021 season with 58 tackles thus far. He’s also snatched one interception and four pass breakups.

Oregon won the game, 38-29.

Sewell is one of the best linebackers in all of college football and is one of the Ducks’ best defensive players, so his loss is a big one. Coming into the Oregon State game, he’d already racked up 89 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks. When he committed to Oregon, the phenom of a linebacker was one of the highest rated commitments ever to sign with the Ducks’ football program.

With the win, Oregon advances to the Pac-12 Championship Game.

Key contributors for the Ducks

Both running back Travis Dye and quarterback Anthony Brown combined to rush for over 150 rushing yards in the game and two touchdowns on the ground. Dye had 20 carries for over 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground on his own. He’s done a great job of carrying the load since C.J. Verdell suffered a season-ending injury earlier in the season.

Oregon wide receiver Devon Williams, a former five-star prospect in the 2018 recruiting class hauled in six catches for 110 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown.

Kayvon Thibodeaux was his usual disruptive self, racking up five tackles, one tackle for loss, and three quarterback hurries. He’s pegged to be one of the top selections in the 2022 NFL Draft for a reason and he showed why on Saturday.

The Pac-12 Championship Game will be played on Friday, Dec. 3. Kickoff is slated for 8:00 p.m. EST. It will be televised on ABC.