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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Testing the governor's resolve ... Michael Gerson: Failing the Ryan Test ... Plastic Roundup is Friday, Saturday at transfer station ... Our View: Testing the governor's resolve ... Michael Gerson: Failing the Ryan Test ... Plastic Roundup is Friday, Saturday at transfer station ... COLLEGE FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK Running backs rule in Oregon victory Comment By Chris Hansen for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Chris Hansen for the Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 6, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Chris Hansen for the Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 6, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News EUGENE — Thomas Tyner’s season-ending shoulder injury created a void at running back for Oregon, which needed someone to play opposite star Royce Freeman. It also created some concern that a position once considered a strength for the Ducks was now a weakness with only Freeman as an experienced and sure-handed option. Oregon’s season-opening win against Eastern Washington at Autzen Stadium on Saturday went a long way to alleviate those concerns. Not only did Freeman open his sophomore season with career-high 180 yards and three touchdowns in the 61-42 victory, but the Ducks got plenty of production from other players in the running game as well. Redshirt sophomore Kani Benoit rushed for 83 yards on 11 carries with a touchdown, redshirt freshman Tony Brooks-James rushed for 63 yards and two scores on six carries, and quarterback Vernon Adams also recorded 94 yards on the ground on 14 rushes. “It was great,” Freeman said. “I see it every day in practice so it doesn’t surprise me. I see the hard work these guys put in. It was nothing new.” Benoit spent 2014 buried on the depth chart, rushing just 23 times for 98 yards and a touchdown in mop-up duty. Brooks-James didn’t play in 2014 but did double as a sprinter on Oregon’s NCAA champion men’s track team last spring. “It’s running back by committee a little bit,” said Benoit of replacing Tyner, who rushed for a combined 1,284 yards and 14 touchdowns the last two seasons. “We are all good running backs and they are going to use all of us.” Oregon also has five-star freshman Taj Griffin on the roster. The speedster from Georgia got into the game late in the fourth quarter and quickly busted off a 61-yard run. All together, the Ducks rushed 57 times for 485 yards and six touchdowns. ADDISON PRODUCTIVE IN RETURN : Bralon Addison made his return to the starting lineup on Saturday after missing all of the 2014 season with a torn ACL. Addison was coming off a superb sophomore season in 2013 — 61 receptions, 890 yards, seven touchdowns — when he was injured during spring practices last year. Against the Eagles, Addison had three catches for 24 yards and a score. He also had one punt return and another on a kickoff. Addison came out of fall camp No. 2 on the depth chart behind Dwayne Stanford at one receiver position but moved into a starting role Saturday when Charles Nelson was unable to play. Also returning to the starting lineup on Saturday was senior left tackle Tyler Johnstone, who missed 2014 with a torn ACL as well. ADAMS AND DUCKS EXTEND STREAKS : When quarterback Vernon Adams connected with Byron Marshall for a 24-yard scoring pass in the third quarter, the senior extended his streak of consecutive games with multiple TD passes to 27 games. The previous 26 came during his time at Eastern Washington when he was racking up 10,438 yards and 110 TDs in three seasons with the Eagles. Adams finished Saturday with 246 yards on 19-of-25 passing before getting knocked out of the game following a late hit by Eastern Washington linebacker John Kreifels with 9:30 left in the fourth quarter. Adams also threw a six-yard TD pass to Bralon Addison in the first quarter as Oregon tied the NCAA record for consecutive games with a TD pass at 69, a streak that began on Sept. 4, 2010. AUTZEN SELLS OUT AGAIN : With a standing room only crowd of 58,128 at Autzen Stadium, the Ducks ran the nation’s third-longest sellout streak to 104 consecutive games dating back to 1999. NOTABLE : Oregon's 731 yards of total offense ranks second in school history, behind the 772 in recorded vs. Nicholls in 2013. … The Ducks reached the 60-point mark for the first time since the 2014 season opener when it scored 62 against South Dakota. … Redshirt freshman cornerbacks Chris Seisay and Juwaan Williams each made their first career interceptions. … Six true freshmen made their collegiate debuts on Saturday: cornerback Ugo Amadi, linebacker Kaulana Apelu, running back Taj Griffin, safety Fotu Leiato, defensive tackle Rex Manu and receiver Kirk Merritt. By Chris Hansen for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Chris Hansen for the Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 6, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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