EUGENE — Oregon middle linebacker Noah Sewell left Saturday’s game against UCLA with an apparent lower right leg injury.
Sewell, a 5-star recruit last year, was carted off the field at Autzen Stadium with 5:24 to go in the third quarter of No. 11 Oregon’s 38-35 win. The true freshman appeared to take contact to his between the knee and ankle and immediately went down grabbing his lower right leg.
Sewell, who had five tackles with a sack and forced a fumble prior to the injury, was helped up and onto the injury cart and didn’t put any weight onto his right leg. He later returned to the sideline in a walking boot and using a crutch.
“We got to run some more tests on him,” Oregon coach Mario Cristobal said after the game. “I feel like it’s got a chance where he’ll be OK. That’s all I can comment on right now until we run some further things. ... But hopeful that things aren’t as bad as they originally seemed.”
UCLA coach Chip Kelly and the entire Oregon roster came onto the field to offer support for Sewell, the younger brother of former Ducks left tackle Penei Sewell.
“He’s made plays ever since he stepped foot here,” safety Jordan Happle said. “... That’s a big blow to us, but we know that we have guys that are going to step up.”
Oregon turned to senior Dru Mathis, who started the season opener, in Sewell’s absence. Mathis made four of his five tackles on Saturday after Sewell left the game.
Noah Sewell had sacks in back-to-back weeks and was quickly establishing himself as one of Oregon’s best defenders.
After he went down, Oregon forced an interception by Verone McKinley III that set up a crucial touchdown drive that made it 38-28.
“Noah’s a young player that’s really done a phenomenal job,” McKinley said. “He’s one of my favorite players, personally. He has an energy that you can’t just coach it. He has instincts and he’s a smart football player — I knew that early on when he got here because I told him something, we were doing 7-on-7 and he knew right away and he picked it up.
“When things like that happen it’s always tough, but we knew we had to have our brother’s back, we had to. Isaac (Slade-Matautia) went out, he made a play. I get another third-down play. They go for it on fourth and we get the interception. That’s one of those things that, that’s for you, Noah. We got you.”