The Oregon Ducks defeated the California Golden Bears 45-24 on Saturday, but the Ducks lost some key players in the process.
Quarterback Justin Herbert went out with a fractured collarbone in the first half, and it has been reported that he will be out for 4-6 weeks.
“Justin will be out for a while,” Taggart told reporters on Monday. He does believe there is a chance Herbert returns this season.
Taylor Alie replaced Herbert in the Cal game, but Alie was removed when he suffered an injury as well. Taggart stated that Alie is day-to-day. So, after Alie went out, freshman Braxton Burmeister played as well.
It will either be Alie or Burmeister starting for the Ducks when they face Washington State this Saturday at Autzen Stadium.
“Quarterback position  — we have some guys that have played the position and can run the offense and that we feel good about that’ll do a good job for us,” Taggart said.
“Braxton, he’s gotten better ever since the spring,” he added. “Each week, he continued to get better. Same as Taylor, and Mike Irwin and anyone else we’ve had back there.”
Starting inside linebacker Kaulana Apelu also got injured during the game. He is out for the season with a fractured ankle. Wide receiver Dillon Mitchell and tight end Jacob Breeland are considered day-to-day.
The list of injuries will be no excuse for Oregon, according to Taggart.
“Next guy up,” Taggart said. “That’s it. We’re not going to sit around and feel sorry for ourselves. Washington State, or anyone else, is not going to feel sorry for us.”
Taggart touched on Washington State, the Ducks’ next opponents. He called head coach Mike Leach an “offensive genius,” and called the Cougar defense aggressive.
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