Word of an index-finger injury for Oregon quarterback Vernon Adams had already spread prior to the Ducks' loss to Michigan State on Saturday. A new report Tuesday reveals the severity of the injury.
Adams is dealing with a broken index finger on his throwing (right) hand, according to CSN Northwest, and the injury is expected to bother him for several weeks.
He suffered the injury in the season opener, per the report.
On a huge stage against the then No. 5 Spartans on Saturday, Adams completed 22 of 39 passes for 309 yards and a touchdown. However, he also threw two interceptions and missed a wide open Byron Marshall on a potential touchdown pass late in the game.
Adams has not used the injury as an excuse, downplaying its role in his performance, but Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost said on Monday that the QB was not 100 percent for Saturday's game.
"I feel bad for Vernon," Frost said. "We don't talk about injuries around here, but he wasn't at his best in that game. That's not an excuse; you won't find one game in college football where there isn't someone that's partially hurt. But that was a big stage for him to be on and not be full-speed, and I thought he performed pretty well."
Adams is in his first year with the Ducks after transferring from Eastern Washington, and beat out Jeff Lockie for the starting job in fall camp. Clearly, Oregon coach Mark Helfrich thinks Adams is the team's best option at quarterback, even when he's not fully healthy, which gives us a strong indication of how much separation there is between Adams and Lockie at the moment.
Follow College Football 24/7 on Twitter _@NFLCFB_.
