Troy Franklin becomes Oregon's first 1,000-yard receiver since 2018
Troy Franklin‘s historic season rolled on at Autzen Stadium on Saturday as Oregon’s standout receiver reached another significant milestone.
During the Ducks’ 36-27 win over USC in Eugene, Franklin hauled in two receptions for 147 yards and a touchdown. In the process, he eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the season. He is the first Oregon receiver to accomplish that feat since Dillon Mitchell set the program record with 1,184 receiving yards in 2018.
“It means a lot,” Franklin said of the accomplishment. “When I first got out of high school, I came to kind of change the receiver perception up here. I think I’m doing that.”
Franklin is the 12th 1,000-yard receiving in UO history. He now sits in fourth place on the school’s single-season receiving list with 1,093 yards in 2023.
“Consistency,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said when asked what makes Franklin so effective. “I mean, he’s able to make those same plays in practice and it shows up in the game. I think he’s a trusted target, too, for Bo. When you talk about having a great quarterback, that means he has great wideouts. Troy has proven to be a guy he can take the ball to.”
Franklin scored Oregon’s second touchdown of the night midway through the first quarter when he caught a short slant from Bo Nix and took it 84 yards to the house.
Top 10
- 1Breaking
DJ Lagway
Florida QB to return vs. LSU
- 2
Dylan Raiola injury
Nebraska QB will play vs. USC
- 3
Elko pokes at Kiffin
A&M coach jokes over kick times
- 4New
SEC changes course
Alcohol sales at SEC Championship Game
- 5
Bryce Underwood
Michigan prepared to offer No. 1 recruit $10.5M over 4 years
Along the way, he produced a jaw-dropping cutback to burst away from USC safety Max Williams.
“I saw how (the cornerback) was off — had a glance route,” Franklin said of the play. “Just ran. Kind of was in the flow of the game; Bo put it on the spot. After that, I just had to run and do what I do from there.”
In the second quarter, Franklin caught a 63-yard pass from Nix down the sideline.
Franklin was targeted a season-low three times against the Trojans. Prior to Saturday, he had not been targeted fewer than seven times in any game this season.
For much of the evening, USC did its best to take Franklin out of the game with bracket coverage. But others stepped up for the Ducks; Tez Johnson caught seven passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns, and Terrance Ferguson had six receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown.
“Each person on our offense is important to our success,” Nix said. “Each person has a role that they can go out there and play. Tez is just finding his role and doing well at it.”
