Linebacker Dru Mathis Will Miss Oregon vs. Ohio State

Oregon will face Ohio State without one of their starting linebackers.

The Ducks have started their season off with some tough injuries on the defensive side of the ball, with the most notable being starting linebacker Dru Mathis.

Prior to Oregon’s matchup against the Buckeyes, Head Coach Mario Cristobal gave  an update on the senior's injury. 

“He will be out for this weekend for sure. He sustained a leg injury,” he said. “We hope that it won’t be real long term.”

Although there is no official time for the return for Mathis, it is confirmed he will be out for at least the matchup this weekend. As the season progresses, more may be said about how long Mathis will be out.

However, Cristobal suggested that we should have an update regarding Kayvon Thibodeaux's injury in the next couple of days.

Mathis went down in the first quarter of the Fresno State game because of an apparent knee injury. The linebacker did not return to play for the rest of the game, but he did return to the sideline with crutches and wearing a knee brace. Before his injury, he recorded two tackles.

With Mathis out of this weekend’s contest, there will be a hole to fill at the starting linebacker slot. If last weekend's game was any indication, freshman Justin Flowe will be the man for the job.

With the second organizational chart being released today, the freshman linebacker was listed as the official starter for this weekend's clash between the Ducks and the Buckeyes in place of the injured Mathis.

Flowe had a dominant first performance against the Bulldogs. He chased the ball all over the field to make a game-high 14 total tackles, which was almost twice as many as other defenders for Oregon. It was the first time since 2007 that an Oregon defender had 14 tackles and a forced fumble.

Cristobal had a lot to say about Flowe’s performance as well as his ability to step up when he is needed to.

“He's a game changer. He had almost 15 tackles. All over the field, plays with incredible passion, forcing turnovers, really aggressive,” he said. “Against an offense like Ohio State, you have to be on point.”

Cristobal wasn't the only coach that had high praise for Flowe. Defensive Coordinator Tim DeRuyter also had a lot of positive things to say about his performance.

“He’s a guy that's a very explosive football player, plays with a ton of passion,” DeRuyter said during a press conference Monday. “He’s a guy that can really chase people down.”

DeRuyter was also asked about how Oregon plans to use Flowe in their matchup against Ohio State.

“We’ve got to work on some things,” the defensive doordinator said. “We know he’s got a bright future, and he’s going to continue to earn some reps.”

Flowe will get his first career start for the Ducks this Saturday in Columbus against Ohio State. The game will be on FOX and kickoff at 9 am PST. 

More from Ducks Digest

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Monday update: the latest on Kayvon Thibodeaux's ankle 

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