Oregon Football: Vernon Adams injury cost Ducks Pac-12 title shot

Vernon Adams put on a clinic as the Oregon Ducks embarrassed the USC Trojans.

What a difference a healthy Vernon Adams makes for the Oregon Ducks who improved to 8-3 on the year and won their fifth game in a row and it was all because of the right arm of the transfer quarterback.

Adams has been dynamite in the five games since returning from a broken finger suffered in the season opener against his former team, Eastern Washington, but he saved his best game for USC, the team he grew up rooting for in Southern California.

Adams completed 20 of 25 passes for 407 yards and tied an Oregon school record with six touchdowns in the game. What’s most impressive is the six touchdowns went to six different Ducks receivers in the 48-28 win.

But today’s performance from Adams will have Oregon and college football fans playing the “what if” game because had Adams not suffered the finger injury and had to leave the loss against Utah after seven attempts or didn’t have to miss the overtime loss to Washington State, this team is in the driver’s seat for the division and a potential playoff berth.

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Adams certainly proved he has the talent to play at this level after dominating on the FCS level and if not for a broken finger on his throwing hand, Oregon would be looking at back-to-back Pac-12 Championships and Adams could be in the Heisman conversation.

As for USC, they need to beat UCLA next week to win the Pac-12 South, which is something not many would have thought possible after they started 3-2 and head coach Steve Sarkisian was fired.

They were the preseason pick to win the division but there’s no silver lining to the loss they suffered at the hands of Adams and Oregon today. USC was sorely outplayed, outcoached and outworked against an Oregon team that is one of the three or four teams you’d least want to play today.

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It won’t be enough for Oregon to get to the playoff again, but it could be enough to get to the Pac-12 title game and for that, Oregon fans will be cheering for the Cal Bears tonight.