Herbert Healing Well, Taggart Says
11/13/17 | Football, @GoDucksMoseley
Sophomore quarterback Justin Herbert has been practicing well in his recovery from injury, but an X-ray later this week will determine his availability against Arizona on Saturday (4 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
As he entered the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex's third-floor press room Monday, Willie Taggart was whistling the theme from Sixties sit-com "The Andy Griffith Show."
A little over a week earlier, Taggart's Oregon football team suffered a 38-3 loss to rival Washington. The defeated dropped the Ducks' record to 5-5, imperiling postseason hopes. But you'd never have guessed that from Taggart's demeanor Monday.
On Sunday, a day before his press conference with local media, Taggart's Ducks returned to practice from their much-needed bye week. Quarterback Justin Herbert "had a good practice" as he continued rehabbing from a fractured collar bone, and linebacker Troy Dye was back in action after suffering an Achilles strain at UW, Taggart confirmed Monday.
On Saturday, the Ducks kick off a two-game homestand to close out Taggart's initial regular season as UO head coach, against Arizona (4 p.m., Pac-12 Network). As dire as things seemed in Seattle, Oregon remains just a game shy of clinching a bowl bid. The Ducks are rested and rejuvenated after the bye. And Herbert's recovery only adds to the positive energy around the program – all of which was enough to have Taggart whistling while he worked Monday.
Herbert, Taggart said, "is doing well," and "his bone is healing really good." Another X-ray later this week will determine whether the collar bone has healed enough for Herbert to make his long-awaited return to action.
"If we leave it up to Justin, he could have played about three weeks ago," Taggart said. "That's just the kind of young man he is. He's such a competitor."
Herbert, the sophomore from Eugene, quarterbacked Oregon to a 4-1 record to start this season. He was 86-of-126 for 1,264 yards and nine touchdowns with two interceptions before breaking his collar bone on a touchdown run against Cal the last weekend of September.
Senior backup Taylor Alie also was injured in that game, pressing true freshman Braxton Burmeister into action. The Ducks have gone 1-4 since, closing out October with a win at home over Utah before opening November with the loss in Seattle.
"We know with Justin we can run the entire offense," Taggart said. "And Braxton, he's getting there. He didn't have that luxury of going through spring ball and getting all the reps, and going through training camp and getting all the reps. It was unfortunate he was thrown in, in that situation. But I think in the long run it's going to help him tremendously, getting that experience in games."
In six appearances – five starts following the relief effort against Cal – Burmeister is 43-of-76 passing for 324 yards, with two touchdowns and six interceptions. He has rushed 63 times for 106 yards and three scores. The numbers illustrate the trial by fire Burmeister has endured, after projecting as Oregon's fifth-string quarterback for this season – comfortably able to sit back and learn while redshirting – until two players ahead of him transferred out and the other two were injured against the Golden Bears.
Taggart said he recently had a conversation with Burmeister in which he related the experience of Taggart's quarterback at his last coaching stop, South Florida. On Sept. 13, 2014, Quinton Flowers made his USF debut and promptly threw two interceptions in four attempts against North Carolina State. Two years later, Flowers was named offensive player of the year in the American Athletic Conference; entering this weekend, the Bulls are 8-1 and No. 23 in the Associated Press poll with Flowers as their senior starter.
"His freshman year, his first two passes were interceptions; everybody said he sucked and couldn't play," Taggart said. "It's amazing – now he's a hero."
Taggart said he related that story to Burmeister, telling the UO freshman, "You can't get caught up in that. You've got to concentrate on where you're at, and developing. We know he'll continue to improve, and he's going to be fine."
Just about the time Oregon was adjusting to life with Herbert, Arizona's trajectory at quarterback was taking the opposite turn.
In the Wildcats' first October game, sophomore Khalil Tate replaced the injured starter on Arizona's opening drive and proceeded to take the college football world by storm. Arizona has gone 5-1 with Tate behind center, the only loss to resurgent Southern California.
During the month of October, Tate led all of the FBS with 11 gains from scrimmage of 30 yards or more; nobody else had more than six, in fact. Defenses may be making some adjustments – Tate has three gains of 30 yards or more in two November games, two behind the FBS leader – but the Ducks are on alert.
"Probably the most important thing, we've got to get lined up," Taggart said. "You see a lot of the big plays they make, defenses aren't aligned right. I don't think you can complicate things. That'll get you too, when you try to do too much. We're going to know where he's at. We've just got to do a good job of getting to him and tackling him."
The return of Dye will help. Oregon's leading tackler with 84 stops this season, Dye was in a walking boot in street clothes late in the loss at Washington. He remained in a boot for practices last week, but was back in action Sunday.
Following Sunday's practice, Taggart broke from the standard script and took a big-picture view of the remaining games on Oregon's schedule. Just two chances remain for UO seniors to play in Autzen Stadium, and Taggart reminded them Sunday evening to soak up the experience.
"As a former player, you miss those days," Taggart said in an interview following Sunday's practice. "I'm just trying to make these guys realize, when it's over, it's over. You want to enjoy your teammates, and you'll never be in this setting again with them. Try to enjoy this time, and don't take it for granted."
