Kirk Herbstreit doubles down on Oregon after upset victory
ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit doubled down on his praise of No. 4 Oregon, saying that the Ducks’ upset victory at Ohio State last weekend could simply be a sign of what’s to come for the Pac-12 program.
“I think what Oregon did was not a fluke,” Herbstreit said. “I think Mario Cristobal has done a really good job of recruiting. I think Anthony Brown, their quarterback, kind of surprised me with how well he played in that game. Their running back, you should watch him if you haven’t already. C.J. Verdell, he’ll be an NFL guy. He’s a really, really talented guy.”
Oregon left Ohio Stadium last Saturday with a decisive, 35-28 win over Ohio State, and Herbstreit was quick to complement the play of Verdell, Oregon’s every-down running back. Verdell and the Ducks ran all over the Buckeyes defense; he had 20 carries and turned it into a whopping 161 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Additionally, Verdell had 34 receiving yards on three catches and another receiving touchdown.
Impressed with Oregon on the road
Ohio State’s defense has underperformed through two games; so much so that head coach Ryan Day has had to look at new ways to evaluate opposing offenses and call plays. As of Thursday afternoon, Day had not yet decided if defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs would call plays, or if he would leave it up to his defense entirely. But despite the low-level of play from the Buckeyes, Herbstreit — an Ohio State alumnus — thinks this game was more of an indication of where Oregon is heading.
Oregon scored the first touchdown at the very beginning of the second quarter, and after an Ohio State answer, they scored two touchdowns to make it 21-7. The Ducks never once trailed in their upset win on the road, giving Herbstreit reason to believe that they are “not a fluke.”
They sealed the win on a crucial fourth-quarter interception. Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud dropped back on 3rd-and-18 and scrambled outside the pocket. The first-year starter moved to his right and looked to hit a wide receiver on the sideline. He floated the ball too high, and it was intercepted by Verone McKinley III. It was the only turnover of the game, and Herbstreit noted Oregon’s ability to bring pressure all game.
Oregon quarterback Anthony Brown went 17-for-35 with 236 yards and two touchdown passes. He spread the passes around, as 11 Ducks recorded a catch, and each had at least one reception of 10 yards. Herbstreit sang high praise for what the offense was able to accomplish, but he was also impressed with how the short-handed defense performed.
Winning without key defenders
Oregon was able to accomplish a season-defining victory without two of its best defenders, as stars Kayvon Thibodeaux and Justin Flowe were both out last Saturday due to injury. Thibodeaux is considered one of the top prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft class and has earned hype as a potential No. 1 overall pick. He was dominant in the season opener, forcing a strip sack in the first quarter before leaving with an ankle injury. The 6-foot-5, 258-pound edge rusher later returned to the sideline in a walking boot.
This week, Oregon has the chance to build on its 2-0 start to the 2021 season with a home game against the Stony Brook Seawolves.