It’s unfortunately become a question that is all-too-common among Oregon Duck fans over the past five games.
While the Ducks have lost by an average of 30 points in four of the last five games played, a large portion of the Oregon fan base has called for the backup QB to get into the game while the starting QB struggled to find success on the field. Redshirt freshman Ty Thompson has been the guy that fans are calling for, while either Anthony Brown or Bo Nix continues to get the snaps.
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That might change on Saturday against Eastern Washington, but likely not because of any subpar play from Nix. Against an FCS school, there is an expectation that the Ducks should be able to put away the competition with some ease, paving a way for younger players and backups to get some time in the second half.
While that’s something that fans are hoping to see, it’s not something that Dan Lanning is willing to discuss. Oregon’s head coach was asked on Wednesday if he was hoping to get Thompson in particular some reps.
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“What I’m worried about right now is playing the game,” Lanning said. “The only thing I’m worried about is winning the game. I want every one of our players to get an opportunity to go out there and perform. But it starts with just us going to play the game. I’m not worried about which guy gets in, but what gives Oregon the best opportunity to win.”
If you expected Lanning to say anything else, then you haven’t been paying attention to his press conferences so far this year. While the coach is young, he is extremely buttoned up and unwilling to give any ammo to the opposing team when it comes to bulletin board material.
Will we see Thompson, Jay Butterfield, and a number of other young players on Saturday? I expect so. Don’t expect Lanning to tell us anything beforehand, though.
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