Oregon’s Evan Stewart Officially Out for Orange Bowl Clash with Texas Tech
As Oregon gears up for its College Football Playoff quarterfinal showdown against Texas Tech, the Ducks will be without a key piece of their offense. Wide receiver Evan Stewart, who’s been sidelined all season with a torn meniscus, has been ruled out for Thursday’s Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium.
There had been some late-week optimism surrounding Stewart’s potential return. He was listed as a game-time decision before last week’s win over James Madison and even went through pregame warmups.
But ultimately, he swapped his cleats for street clothes and didn’t take the field. That trend continued into this week - Stewart didn’t practice Saturday in Eugene, and now it’s official: Oregon will have to make this playoff push without him.
It’s a tough blow for the Ducks. Stewart was expected to be a dynamic weapon in Oregon’s passing game this season, a vertical threat with the kind of burst that can change a game in one play. But with him sidelined all year, Oregon’s offense has had to find other answers - and to their credit, they’ve done just that, piecing together a 12-1 campaign and earning the No. 5 seed in the playoff bracket.
On the defensive side, the Ducks are still monitoring the status of safety Trey McNutt. The freshman has yet to see the field this season due to a leg injury and, like Stewart, was a game-time decision against James Madison. He’s officially listed as questionable heading into Thursday, so his availability remains up in the air.
There’s better news for Oregon in the backfield. Running back Jordon Davison, who exited the James Madison game with a lower body injury, practiced on Saturday and isn’t listed on the team’s injury report - a strong sign he’ll be ready to go against Texas Tech. Davison has been a steady presence for the Ducks this season, and his availability adds some welcome stability to the offense heading into their biggest game of the year.
As for the rest of the roster, all seven other Oregon players currently listed as out are either dealing with season-ending injuries or have already announced plans to enter the transfer portal. No surprises there - this is the time of year when depth charts start to reflect the physical toll of a long season and the shifting landscape of college football’s transfer era.
Game Info:
- Matchup: No.
4 Texas Tech (12-1) vs. No.
5 Oregon (12-1)
- Date: Thursday, January 1
- Time: 9 a.m. PT
- Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
- TV: ESPN
- Streaming: Available via DIRECTV (free trial) or Sling (day pass for $4.99). Streaming access may vary by location, especially outside the Pacific Northwest.
This one’s shaping up to be a heavyweight battle between two 12-1 squads with playoff dreams on the line. Oregon will need to lean on its depth and resilience - something the Ducks have done all season - as they face a red-hot Texas Tech team with plenty of firepower.
Missing Stewart hurts, no question. But if Oregon’s shown us anything this year, it’s that they’re more than capable of adapting and rising to the moment.