Monday With Mario: What We Learned

Two games remain in the regular season for Oregon football, and though the Ducks have clinched a berth in this season's Pac-12 Championship game, their goals go beyond that Dec. 6 game in Santa Clara, Calif.

Oregon (9-1, 7-0 Pac-12) is two wins away from becoming the first team to go undefeated in Pac-12 play since the conference expanded to 12 teams. Finish the regular season with two wins, and the Ducks could be playing in the conference title game for the right to advance to the College Football Playoff.

Those goals and more will be on the line this Saturday, when the Ducks play at Arizona State (4:30 p.m., ABC). The regular season ends with the Civil War in Autzen Stadium on Nov. 30, a game that will kickoff at either 1 p.m. or 4:30 p.m., a decision to be finalized in the wake of the ASU game.

On Monday, UO coach Mario Cristobal met with media to discuss personnel issues regarding his team and also the matchup with the Sun Devils.

Some takeaways …

1. The injury bug has taken another bite out of the UO roster, with freshman receiver Mycah Pittman out due to a broken arm suffered in Saturday's 34-6 win over Arizona.

Pittman, who missed the first four games of the season with a shoulder injury, made an 11-yard reception in the first half Saturday. He was fighting to shed a tackle and keep his balance, extending his hand to the groud to keep from going down to the turf, and a defender fell across his wrist and forearm.

Cristobal confirmed the broken arm Monday. He said the recovery period is expected to be about six weeks, the outer limits of when the Ducks might still be playing. So they're not totally closing the door on a return for Pittman.

"We're always hopeful of that," Cristobal said. "He's proven before he's a quick healer."

2. Prior to the Arizona game, in the five games since Pittman returned from his shoulder injury he had been the Ducks' third-leading receiver. The single catch against the Wildcats gave him 14 receptions for 197 yards and two touchdowns.

That's a good chunk of production at the receiver position needing to be replaced. On Monday's updated depth chart, freshman Josh Delgado was listed as the new backup slot receiver behind Jaylon Redd; two-way contributor Daewood Davis entered the two-deep as a backup outside receiver, where Delgado had been listed.

Cristobal said Justin Collins could become a factor as well; he has spent this offseason rehabbing a knee injury, and coincidentally his only reception last season was against Arizona State. Freshman Isaah Crocker, JR Waters and Lance Wilhoite could be options as well, and Cristobal also mentioned Darrian Felix, a running back who has been utilized in two-back sets this season.

"There's a lot on the table," Cristobal said. "There's a lot of guys we want to continue looking at."

3. Another depth chart adjustment was made Monday at the boundary safety position, where both Nick Pickett and Brady Breeze are listed as potential starters Saturday.

Pickett started every game through the win at USC, from which he was ejected following a penalty for targeting. Breeze finished with a team-high seven tackles that day, plus a fumble recovery and a pick-six, and he replaced Pickett in the starting lineup against Arizona while Pickett served a one-half suspension for the targeting penalty.

Against the Wildcats, Breeze had another seven tackles; he's now fifth on the team with 36 tackles this season, based on no small part on his special teams contributions as well as defense. Pickett entered the game midway through the third quarter, but he didn't completely replace Breeze after serving the suspension.

"Things were rolling the way they were," Cristobal said. "It's not an indication of anything else. They both compete their tails off and do a really good job."

4. The Ducks have competition as well at placekicker, where both Camden Lewis and Henry Katleman will continue to share reps in practice this week.

Lewis has a game-winning kick under his belt as a freshman, to beat Washington State earlier this season. But he struggled against Arizona, missing a PAT and a field goal, making him 5-of-9 on field-goal attempts this season.

"Both of those guys have gotten better," Cristobal said. "I know the game didn't work out or show it as such, but we have faith that he'll get back on track, and that Katleman will continue pushing."

5. Arizona State is 5-5 this season, having dropped four straight in the wake of Saturday's 35-34 loss at Oregon State, in which ASU passed up a potential game-tying PAT for an unsuccessful, go-ahead two-point conversion attempt.

The Sun Devils utilize a lot of movement in the defensive front to try and create disruption, Cristobal said, a challenge for Oregon's veteran offensive line. True freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels is fourth in the Pac-12 in passing yardage at 248.4 per game, helped by home-run threats Frank Darby and Brandon Aiyuk, who are No. 1 and No. 3 in the Pac-12 in yards per reception, respectively.

"They're as talented as any team you'll see, really on both sides of the ball," Cristobal said.