Not many were expecting the Oregon Ducks to go on the road and overwhelm the Ohio State Buckeyes in the manner that they did, but the Ducks rolled to a 41-28 victory in "The Shoe," scoring 38 points in a row at one point.
The Ducks had the game in hand by the start of the fourth quarter, and the dominant defensive play stood out. However, Oregon lost a key piece of its defense late in the game, as edge rusher Teitum Tuioti went down with a leg injury.
Tuioti was carted to the locker room after the game with his left knee heavily wrapped up. The senior pass rusher finished the game with just two tackles, one for a loss, but was part of the turning point in the win. Tuioti threw a pass on a fake punt to fellow edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei for a big
trick play to help Oregon get points before halftime.
After the game, Dan Lanning didn't have much news regarding Tuioti's status, but remained optimistic.
"Yeah, not right now," Lanning said when asked if he knew Tuioti's health status. "We'll wait to hear from our medical staff. I know he's tough, so I'm praying for good news there."
Tuioti has been the heartbeat of Oregon's defense in recent weeks as the Ducks have climbed back into the Big Ten conversation. This season, Tuioti has made 44 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.
If Tuioti has to miss any time, it will be a huge blow to Oregon's defense that has continued to surge late in the season. Nasir Wyatt is a likely candidate to step into Tuioti's role on the edge if needed.
Oregon will host Michigan next Saturday at Autzen Stadium.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Dan Lanning 'praying for good news' after Teitum Tuioti injury
