Multiple Ducks Earn Pac-12 Football Weekly Performance Awards
September 20, 2021 12:13PM PDT
The Oregon Ducks represented well in the Pac-12 Weekly Football performance awards after their 48-7 win over Stony Brook, with Verone McKinley and T.J. Bass earning top honors:
DEFENSE: Verone McKinley III, So., Safety, Oregon (Carrollton, TX)
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Led the Oregon defense in a 48-7 win over Stony Brook, recording a pair of interceptions and three tackles (two solo).
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Notched his second career multi-interception game and brought his season INT total to 3 through 3 games. 3 INT leads the Pac-12 and is tied for the most in FBS this season. Now has 8 career interceptions, 4 away from cracking the UO all-time top 10. Picked off passes in consecutive games for the second time in his career.
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Earned a solid 80.1 overall grade by Pro Football Focus, including a stellar 88.5 grade in pass coverage.
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Oregon’s defense held its opponent to single-digit points for the first time since Nov. 16, 2019. The Ducks held Stony Brook scoreless in the second half while allowing just 80 total yards.
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2nd time McKinley has won this award with first time coming in October 2019. He’s the first Duck to win the award since Jamal Hill won it after the 2020 Pac-12 Championship Game.
OFFENSIVE LINE: T.J. Bass, Jr., OG, Oregon (Deming, WA)
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Tied for the team high with four knockdowns in No. 4 Oregon’s 48-7 win over Stony Brook.
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Earned a terrific 86.4 grade by Pro Football Focus, including a stellar 93.5 run-blocking grade. 93.5 run-block grade ranked second nationally among all offensive linemen and first among guards in Week Three, and his 86.4 overall grade was tops in the nation among guards and 11th overall.
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Helped pave the way for an Oregon rushing attack that went for 173 yards on 39 carries. Oregon’s offense scored 40-plus points for the first time this season.
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2nd time Bass has won this award, having previously been honored in November 2020. Ducks win the award in back-to-back weeks after Alex Forsyth won it after Oregon’s win over Ohio State. Oregon also won the award in consecutive weeks last season with Ryan Walk and T.J. Bass winning the first 2 weeks of the 2020 season. Since this award began in 2019, Oregon has won it 12 of the 24 weeks.