Oregon WR Kris Hutson Says Injury 'Part of the Game Plan' vs. Washington

During the waning moments of Oregon's 37-34 loss to Washington last Saturday, wide receiver Kris Hutson appeared to suffer a leg injury after making a first-down catch, forcing officials to stop the clock despite the Ducks having no timeouts.

While Oregon's comeback bid fell short, Hutson revealed on Wednesday that his injury was actually a strategy to get his team some extra time.

"It was just part of the game plan," Hutson told reporters. "It wasn't anything too special, but I'm all right, though."

Hutson, who finished with seven catches for 56 yards in the loss, added that he should be ready to suit up for this week's game against No. 10 Utah. Erik Skopil of 247Sports noted that Ducks head coach Dan Lanning declined to comment on the play while he met with the media after Wednesday's practice.

Oregon fell from No. 6 to No. 12 in both the College Football Playoff rankings and the AP Poll after the loss to Washington. The Ducks had their eight-game win streak snapped and now trail No. 7 USC for first place in the Pac-12 conference.

To make matters worse, Oregon starting quarterback Bo Nix was injured in the fourth quarter against the Huskies, and his status against the Utes is in question. Hutson expressed confidence in backup quarterback Ty Thompson if Nix can't suit up.

"Obviously, Bo is down, so it's the next man up," Hutson said. "...[Thompson] is good at decision-making. He has a great arm. He can extend plays. He's learned a lot from Bo, so he kind of took his game to the next level also. Ty is a good player, he's a great player, great quarterback; very smart. Can't wait to see him out there ready to go."

A redshirt freshman, Thompson has thrown for 72 yards and two interceptions in limited action this season.