On the surface, Oregon—a big winner over James Madison in the College Football Playoff first round and Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl—looks like it’s firing on all cylinders entering the Peach Bowl against Indiana.
However, the Ducks are desperately shorthanded at the running back position. Leading rusher Noah Whittington is questionable for Friday’s showdown, and several teammates are injured or in the transfer portal.
Because of this, per ESPN’s Katie George via colleague Pete Thamel, Oregon has been forced to move two defensive players to running back this week. Those two players are Kilohana Haasenritter—who played as a running back for the Ducks in 2022 and 2023—and linebacker Brayden Platt. Platt played running back in high school in Yelm, Wash.
Oregon’s leading rusher in both the first round and the Orange Bowl was the now-injured Jordon Davison, who is reportedly nursing a broken clavicle.
The Ducks are seeking to advance to the national championship for the third time in school history. Oregon lost 22–19 to Auburn in 2010’s BCS title game, and lost 42–20 to Ohio State in 2014’s CFP championship after crushing Florida State 59–20 in the Rose Bowl.
The Peach Bowl is a rematch of the Hoosiers’ Oct. 11 voyage to Eugene, Ore., where Indiana downed Oregon 30–20.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Oregon Moves Two Defensive Backs to Running Back Amid Peach Bowl Roster Crunch.
