BREAKING: Mario Cristobal says that Kayvon Thibodeaux is still day to day. “Trying to get there. We’re not there yet.”
— Zachary Neel (@zacharycneel) September 8, 2021
Mario Cristobal announced in his media availability on Wednesday afternoon that Oregon’s star defender Kayvon Thibodeaux is still day-to-day.
Unfortunately, it seems that progress may not be as quick as we previously hoped, with Thibodeaux’s availability for the game looking doubtful. With Thibodeaux unable to play, the Ducks will be at a major loss, especially when it comes to creating pressure on CJ Stroud and the Ohio State passing offense.
Thibodeaux missed the second half of the game against Fresno State on Saturday after having a lineman roll up on his ankle late in the first quarter. Thibodeaux initially came back into the game after getting his ankle taped, but ultimately sat the second half while wearing street clothes and a walking boot.
When meeting with the media on Monday, Cristobal said that they were taking things day-by-day, but that Thibodeaux was “improving.”
Now, it seems that things haven’t been able to progress as quickly as they would have hoped, so Oregon could go into its biggest road game ever without its best player. The Ducks certainly need him with Ohio State boasting one of the best offenses in the nation. A dominant passing attack led by quarterback CJ Stroud, sporting All-American receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, the Buckeyes have the ability to score with anyone, and potentially blow out opponents who can’t keep up.
But with or without Thibodeaux, a big part of Oregon’s potential success will rely on the defense’s ability to create pressure on Stroud and get him out of the pocket. If the Ducks want to be successful in that venture, everyone on the defense will have to bring their A-game in order to pull off the upset. Thibodeaux’s probable absence does make the chances of a shocking victory even less likely than it already was.
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