The Oregon Ducks will need all hands on deck this Saturday for a trip to Columbus to play the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Ducks lost a pair of running backs in a comeback win over Northwestern on Halloween and have been without one of their star receivers for more than a month, but reinforcements could be coming soon.
Dan Lanning provided updates on injured wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan and running back Jordon Davison on Monday ahead of the Ducks' trip to Columbus. McClellan, who went down with a foot injury in pregame warmups against Portland State on Sept. 18, was seen running routes before Oregon's win over Northwestern.
The junior wideout could be catching passes from Dylan Raiola soon as he works his way back into the fold.
"(McClellan's)
been doing some stuff with us in practice," Lanning said. "Continue to evaluate where he's at, but you know, certainly is promising the growth and the steps that he's taken."
Davison, meanwhile, has been Oregon's leading rusher this season. However, he suffered a leg injury in the first half against Northwestern after going down awkwardly while being tackled. He quickly left the game and returned to the sideline in the second half in street clothes and with crutches.
Lanning deferred to the Big Ten availability report that will come out on Wednesday when asked about Davison's status for Saturday's game, but he did sound optimistic that the sophomore tailback won't miss much time, if any.
"Our status report will come out on Wednesday," Lanning said. "I don't think it's long-term with Jordon, but you guys will find out when the injury report comes out."
Dierre Hill Jr. also suffered an injury late in the first half against Northwestern and did not play in the second half, despite remaining in uniform and on the sideline. True freshman Brandon Smith had a breakout performance in place of Davison and Hill, racking up 114 total yards and a touchdown.
We should know more about whether or not the two star playmakers for Oregon's rejuvenated offense will be able to hit the field this weekend from Wednesday's report, as Lanning is opting to keep his cards close to the vest for the big-time matchup.
Oregon will take on Ohio State this Saturday in Columbus, with kickoff set for 12:30 p.m. PST.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Dan Lanning provides updates on Oregon's Jordon Davison, Jeremiah McClellan
