Oregon gets positive injury update on offensive line for Week 3
Oregon received some positive injury news ahead of their Week 3 matchup against Oregon State.
Matthew Bedford, the presumed starting right guard, is not listed on the team’s player availability report. After suffering a knee injury in camp, the guard has not yet played this season.
The Ducks will be without offensive lineman Dave Iuli, defensive lineman My’Keil Gardner, defensive backs Jahlil Florence and Dakoda Fields, and kicker Andrew Boyle.
Wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr. and cornerback Khamari Terrell are both listed as questionable.
Without Bedford, the team had been playing Iapani Laloulu at guard.
Oregon’s usually-stout offensive line has struggled this season. The team is No. 119 in the country in sacks allowed with 7 through 2 games. The Ducks gave up only 5 sacks in all of 2023. Bedford’s massive presence on the interior should help keep Dillon Gabriel upright and create bigger running lanes for the team’s running backs.
Bedford transferred to Oregon from Indiana this offseason. The guard started 11 games at RG for Indiana in 2023 and allowed just 1 sack in 755 snaps. Bedford received a pass-blocking grade of 70.0 or better in 8 of 13 games, and 80.0 or better in 2 contests last season.
Hopefully for the Ducks, a fully healthy OL will make a difference. The team is sitting at 2-0, but both games have been closer than expected. In Week 1, the team struggled against FCS Idaho and then needed a last-second field goal to beat Boise State last weekend.
In Week 3, the Ducks are looking to get on track against the in-state rival Oregon State Beavers. This game is in Corvallis, which could be bad news for the Ducks considering they have not won in the city since 2018.
The 2 old rivals will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.