The Oregon Ducks not only have a 2022 mess on their hands after being crushed by Georgia in Week 1. Their quarterback situation for 2023 is a little more uncertain than it might have been (or should have been) heading into their 2022 season opener.
It was shocking to see Oregon coach Dan Lanning not give backup quarterback Ty Thompson any playing time on Saturday.
Oregon trailed Georgia 35-3, then 42-3, then 49-3, in the second half. Surely Thompson could have benefited from playing time.
USC fans watched their Trojans crush Rice, 66-14. Lincoln Riley gave unproven backup quarterback Miller Moss the fourth quarter behind Caleb Williams. Playing backups is precisely how players develop and improve.
Let’s be clear here: We’re not debating whether Ty Thompson should have started over Bo Nix at Oregon. We’re wondering why Thompson didn’t get the fourth quarter in a blowout.
We’re not talking about whether Thompson is ready to start. We’re wondering why Thompson isn’t getting any playing time at all, when the situation would seem to demand that he get some live reps and a real chance to develop in Eugene.
Ducks Wire had more on this story:
Ty Thompson is the highest-rated quarterback to ever sign with Oregon. But now the former five-star recruit has to wonder what it will take, beyond an injury, to get on the field.
He didn’t get any playing time on Saturday against Georgia even though the game was completely out of hand from the third quarter onward, and the Ducks eventually fell 49-3. Instead, head coach Dan Lanning and offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham stuck with the starter Bo Nix for the entire game.
When an elite recruit gets snubbed — not for the starting job, but for any small bread crumb of playing time — that has to generate questions about his future. We’re not predicting he will transfer, but Thompson surely has to wonder if it’s worth sitting on the Oregon pine, Deep In The Woods, for another whole season.
Surely, this isn’t what he signed up for.
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