Saturday’s 56–10 rout of Rutgers was about as stress-free as it gets for Dan Lanning and the Ducks. By midway through the third quarter, Dante Moore had already diced up the Scarlet Knights for four touchdowns and earned the right to kick back on the sidelines. But the real surprise came when it was time to hand over the offense. Lanning sure gave that chance to someone who, as he put it, “earned it in practice.”

Instead of Austin Novosad or Luke Moga jogging out to finish the job, it was former walk-on Brock Thomas who took the reins. Thomas guided the Ducks through the final 17 plays, completing 3 of 4 passes for 45 yards and tacking on a 15-yard run. Thomas’ accession from being just another depth piece to QB2 wasn’t accidental.

Lanning made it clear on his Monday presser. “Over time, Brock has done a really good job in practice. He’s operated well.” Comparing him to Novosad and Moga, Lanning said, “Those guys have also done a really good job as well…But there’s not anything necessarily that Brock hasn’t done to earn those reps. He’s earned them in practice. We talk about rent’s due in football every single week, and he’s been a guy that’s been paying rent and doing what he’s supposed to do.”

Thomas’s work ethic has clearly paid dividends. Though he arrived at Oregon without the recruiting buzz of his teammates, he wasn’t exactly overlooked coming out of Sheldon High School. A three-star prospect and the No. 96 quarterback in the 2023 class per 247Sports, Thomas had offers from Air Force, Army, and Portland State before choosing to stay home, following the same path his father and grandfather once walked as Ducks.

Thomas has now appeared in five games this season, completing 5 of 9 passes for 59 yards (more than both Novosad and Moga combined).

That doesn’t mean the other backups have been left behind. Anyone who performs well will be rewarded in the future. “And who knows, that role might change in the future. But right now, Brock has earned those opportunities in practice,” Lanning said.

Now, while the head coach has a clear plan for his QB depth, there’s already a new update on Oregon’s running back injury.

Dan Lanning’s take on Jayden Limar’s injury

During Oregon’s (6-1) game against Rutgers, one key piece of their offensive puzzle was sidelined. Jayden Limar, the Ducks’ second-leading rusher through 6 games, was listed as “OUT” on the availability report. Limar had piled up 249 yards and three TDs, trailing only Dierre Hill Jr. among Oregon’s RBs. Given that number, losing him was a big blow to the Ducks’ backfield depth. Lanning has now provided a new update on the RB’s injury status.

According to the Ducks HC, the standout RB will miss this week’s clash with Wisconsin, but doesn’t expect it to be long-term. “Yeah, he’s out. He’s going to be out for a little bit, but I don’t anticipate it being a really long time,” said Lanning. Now, while a comeback is on the horizon, true freshman Dierre Hill is making waves in Oregon’s backfield. Yeah, Hill had already racked up 329 yards and 3 TDs so far this season. Without Limar, the Ducks’ running game was dominant, and not just Hill.

Oregon piled up 415 rushing yards and four TDs against Rutgers. Noah Whittington led the charge with 125 yards and two scores, while Jordon Davison added 100 yards and a TD of his own. Now, with Limar’s return, that dominance could be taken up a notch.