Breaking: Oregon offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead makes return Friday

Oregon Ducks offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead made his return to coaching Friday against California, per 247 Sports’ Matt Prehm. Moorhead missed a Week 5 game against Stanford after undergoing surgery for a non-COVID related medical issue.

Although he isn’t on the sidelines, Moorhead will give direction from the Ducks’ booth. Regardless, it’s certainly good news to see him back in action.

The Ducks were the final remaining unbeaten team in the Pac-12 and looked to be the only league team to have a legit shot at a CFP berth. However, they fell at Stanford without Moorhead. There obviously has been a lot of chaos this season, but it’s hard to imagine a Pac-12 team getting enough traction in the eventual CFP rankings by beating only other league teams.

Still, this game against Cal remains pivotal for Oregon. The Ducks can still make the Pac-12 Championship Game with a strong finish in league play. In-state rival Oregon State sits atop the North division at the moment. The Beavers and Ducks are set to meet on Nov. 27 in the final game of the regular season.

Moorhead spent four years as the head coach of his alma mater, Fordham, from 2012-15. From there he went on to become the offensive coordinator at Penn State before accepting the head coaching position at Mississippi State in 2018.

He led the Bulldogs to an 8-4 finish in his inaugural season, which tied the school record for most wins by a first-year coach. Then, 10 players were suspended for eight games at the beginning of 2019 for allowing a tutor to take tests and do homework for them.

Mississippi State finished that season 6-7 and Moorhead was fired. He then took the offensive coordinator job at Oregon shortly after.

The Ducks are averaging 421.2 yards and 35.8 points per game this year under his direction. It’s safe to say Oregon fans everywhere should be happy Joe Moorhead was able to make such a quick return.