Oregon football is cruising in its Saturday matchup versus the Michigan Wolverines, but they might be leaving The Big House with some bad news. Standout wide receiver Tez Johnson suffered a shoulder injury following a catch-and-run early in the game. He headed to the locker room and returned in street clothes, with his arm in a sling, per The Register Guard's Alec Dietz.
Johnson ends his day with one catch for 11 yards. Dillon Gabriel is carving up Michigan's defense even without his top target (16-of-22 for 217 yards and two total touchdowns in first half), but this unsettling development could have big consequences for the offense going forward.
Tez Johnson is enjoying a remarkable campaign for Oregon football
The NFL Draft prospect is one of the best at his position, ranking in the top 10 in multiple categories. He has 64 receptions for 649 yards and eight touchdowns this season. If No. 1 Oregon is going to realize its dream of winning the national championship in January, he will probably need to add to those already splendid numbers.
Ducks head coach Dan Lanning got a big boost to his defense when edge-rusher Jordan Burch returned from a knee injury after a three-game absence, but he might now be forced to fill in a massive hole on offense. Is that even possible? Neither Lanning, Gabriel, nor Oregon football fans want to find out.
Although Oregon's path to the Big Ten Championship game should be unimpeded (end regular season versus Maryland, Wisconsin and Washington), competition figures to ramp up in December and beyond. A playmaker like Tez Johnson could decide games in the College Football Playoff. Hopefully, he will be healed by then, otherwise the climb to the top could be excruciatingly more difficult.
While the sling portends a concerning prognosis, all anyone can do now is speculate. What fans do see with their own eyes, however, is Oregon finding success in a hostile atmosphere despite this setback. This team is quite deep.
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