Oregon's offensive true-freshmen step up in a big way

It was a great day for the Ducks on offense as they were able to put together successful drive after successful drive. Anthony Brown was incredibly efficient and was distributing the ball all over the field. But Oregon’s efficiency wasn’t the only thing that stood out on offense today.

Oregon had three true freshmen score touchdowns and they didn’t just come in garbage time.

Byron Cardwell had his best game by far in his career and received season-high seven carries. He turned those carries into a whopping 127 yards and a touchdown. He scored Oregon’s second touchdown of the day on a 34-yard touchdown run where he was able to cut upfield and walk into the endzone.

Cardwell’s vision and patience were on full display as he was able to maximize the yards the offensive line provided and find a way to still pick up more yards after contact. He looked like a veteran back with his ability to cut and stay patient before exploding through the running lanes. He’s a very balanced back that has power and speed and he was able to make the most out of his opportunity. 

Troy Franklin also got going today and finished with two catches for 44 yards and a touchdown. He was able to extend Oregon’s lead to 21 early in the second quarter after he scored a 28-yard touchdown from Brown. He also grabbed a 16-yard catch earlier in the game.

Franklin has the talent to be a dominant receiver, but he hasn’t had a ton of opportunities to showcase his talents. He plays a ton of snaps, but it hasn’t always resulted in consistent targets during games. It was great to see Franklin get involved and score the touchdown and it seems like he’s slowly but surely getting more comfortable in the offense.

Franklin plays a key role in the offense and if he is able to build on this performance, the sky’s the limit for the young wide receiver. 

Seven Mcgee was able to get in the game towards the end and had a total of eight touches for 41 yards and a touchdown. After a Brown to DJ Johnson touchdown got called back, the offense gave McGee multiple consecutive carries and he was able to punch it in from one yard out to give Oregon a 23-point lead to end the game.

McGee is another freshman that had high expectations entering the year, but it’s been an uphill battle for him to earn carries. With CJ Verdell missing the rest of the season, there are certainly carries to be had in the backfield. McGee provides a spark and is a very different running back from anyone else in that group. 

Overall it was a great day for the freshman on Oregon’s offense. This group is filled with talent and we’ve already seen both of the freshman tight ends get involved in games earlier this year.

This offense has needed a spark of life after hitting a bit of a lull the past few weeks, and this game was a great chance for them to get back on schedule. The freshman will look to build on this performance and continue to get better as we head down the stretch.