Oregon could be without star defensive end Jordan Burch for Saturday’s game against Ohio State. Burch’s status for the game is uncertain after he sustained a lower-body injury during practice Thursday, according to multiple reports Saturday.
Burch — a 6-foot-6, 295-pounder from Columbia, S.C. — is a former blue-chip recruit in his second season with Oregon after transferring from South Carolina. He returned to Eugene for his senior year and has been one of the country’s breakout stars of the first half of the season.
He leads the Ducks with five sacks among his seven tackles for loss, and he was practically a one-man wrecking crew in Oregon’s dominant victory against Michigan State last week. He had 2 1/2 sacks and was the Big Ten’s defensive player of the week.
“Most guys that big are interior defensive linemen, so he’s a really athletic guy,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said this week of Burch. “You’ve got to know where he is on every play. But he’s one of those guys that can disrupt a football game.”
Oregon is deeper and more talented in the front seven than it has been previously under third-year coach Dan Lanning. If Burch is out, that would likely mean more opportunities for Matayo Uiagalelei (the brother of Florida State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei), who is third on the team with 3 1/2 sacks.
Uiagalelei is not a starter, but already plays a lot of snaps and often gets used with Burch.
Oregon has some big, athletic options, but it doesn’t have another player like Burch to attack the edges of an Ohio State line that came into the season as perhaps the team’s biggest question but has so far performed well. The Buckeyes have allowed only four sacks. Left tackle Josh Simmons is developing into one of the best at his position in the country. Josh Fryar at right tackle, who struggled at times last season, has only allowed one sack and four pressures so far.
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