Coming out of their bye week, the Ducks are getting healthier. It may not feel quite that way after losing starters CJ Verdell and Bennett Williams for the season, but multiple players are working their way back to full health.
One of those players is Alex Forsyth, who was a game day scratch vs. Stanford in week five after experiencing back spasms.
"He looks good. He looks ready to go," Cristobal said of the Ducks' starting center Tuesday. "Had a good week so far."
Alex Mirabal and the rest of the offensive line staff slid Ryan Walk over to play center against the Cardinal, moving him away from his typical home at right guard. Walk looked strong and proved first-hand why it's so important for linemen to have experience playing multiple spots, and why the staff continues to emphasize cross training.
With Walk taking over snapping duties in Palo Alto, the Ducks rotated Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Steven Jones and Jackson Powers-Johnson along the right side of the offensive line. Quarterback Anthony Brown was sacked twice and the Oregon rushing attack, led by CJ Verdell and Travis Dye, totaled 228 yards on the ground.
Forysth's return is a welcome one, as his presence should allow the staff to return Walk and others back to their normal starting spots. Powers-Johnson has seen the most snaps of any true freshmen offensive linemen and could become a mainstay in a group dominated by veterans.
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