Terrance Ferguson injury update: Oregon TE had appendix removed ahead of Week 8

Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson was unavailable in the Ducks’ 35-0 win over Purdue on Friday. After the game, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning revealed Ferguson was unable to play because had his appendix removed earlier in the week.

“He’s a tough kid,” Lanning said, per ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg. “He’s played with a lot of injuries. This is one you can’t really play with.”

Lanning reportedly did not have a timetable for Ferguson’s return. Oregon survived without the standout TE, tallying 291 passing yards against the Boilermakers. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel didn’t have trouble finding targets, connecting on 21-of-his-25 pass attempts for two touchdowns.

Nonetheless, the Ducks will want Ferguson back on the field as soon as possible. He is the team’s third-leading receiver this season, boasting 20 catches for 321 yards. Ferguson hasn’t hauled in a touchdown yet this season.

Alas, the 6-foot-5 senior was pivotal in Oregon’s Week 7 win over Ohio State, recording a season-high four catches for 62 yards. Oregon fans can rest assured Ferguson will be back on the field as soon as he’s able. Last week, Terrance Ferguson raved about being a part of the Ducks’ dynamic offense.

“Man, it’s super fun,” Ferguson said. “I think the biggest thing is you got all those guys that are super explosive. I think it’s the love for everyone in that room. It’s the best offense I’ve been a part of.”

NCAA changes rules after Oregon exposes loophole

With 10 seconds left in Oregon’s 32-31 win over Ohio State in Week 7, Oregon put 12 defenders on the field, leading to a Buckeyes incompletion. Oregon received a 5-yard penalty for the play but four seconds ran off the clock and Ohio State accidentally ran out the game clock on the next play.

Viewers around the nation immediately called for the NCAA to examine its rules to avoid similar situations from happening again. On Friday, the national coordinator of officials, Steve Shaw, explained how the NCAA changed its rules to address the loophole.

“Our new interpretation is that after the two-minute timeout in either half, if the defense commits a substitution foul — which they did here — and have 12 or more players on the field and they participate in the down, then officials will penalize the defense for the substitution foul,” Shaw said. “But, at the option of the offended team, we’ll reset the game clock back to the time displayed at the snap.

“The game clock will then restart on the next snap. So [in the Oregon-OSU game], after the five-yard penalty on the defense from the previous spot, we would reset the clock to 10 seconds, and it would start on the next snap, and the offense would get to repeat third down.”