Star freshman Jeremiah McClellan faces an indefinite sideline stint after a pregame injury, leaving Dan Lanning’s squad shorthanded for a high-stakes showdown against the Trojans in Los Angeles.
The Oregon Ducks tried to make a statement with an 84-0 pummeling of Portland State on Friday night.
The Ducks will be without a key wide receiver for a significant period of time after an injury before that lopsided contest.
Per On3, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning told reporters during his news conference on Monday night that wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan suffered a broken foot against Portland State. The Ducks are unsure when the receiver will return.
McClellan recorded seven receptions for 170 yards and one touchdown through the first two games of the regular season.
Lanning told reporters on Friday night that the injury happened during the pregame.
“Got tweaked in pregame, have to get an evaluation to see what exactly that looks like,” Lanning said after Friday night's game. “I don’t know right at this moment.”
The news of McClellan's injury comes as the No. 20 Ducks are set to travel to play No. 12 USC in Los Angeles on Saturday. Oregon needs to win the game if it wants to remain a contender for the College Football Playoff.
Losing McClellan will be a huge loss for the Ducks before playing the Trojans.
USC and head coach Lincoln Riley have similar reasons to want to win on Saturday. Riley was facing pressure to make the CFP for the first time with the Trojans.
Lanning is facing pressure to win big games and make a deep push in the CFP this season. The Ducks struggled in their first two games of the season, and were upset by Oklahoma State in Week 2.
After the loss to OSU, Lanning said he wanted his players to focus on what's immediately ahead of them.
"Stop looking into the future," Lanning said, via ESPN. "Everybody wants to make a prediction before the season starts. You know, it doesn't matter until you play the games. We have the capability to be good.
"We have good enough players. We have good enough coaches. I haven't coached them well enough. I haven't done a good enough job, so I know I can do better. So that's where it starts."
