Oregon Football Practice Report: Nov. 20
By Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
Venue: Moshofsky Center
Format: Walk-through
The white jersey bearing No. 85 made a return appearance in the Moshofsky Center on Thursday, though it was stretched a little tighter than usual across the massive chest of defensive lineman Arik Armstead.
Tight end Pharaoh Brown may be back home in Ohio recovering from the leg injury he suffered at Utah, but the Ducks are making it clear he’s still close to their hearts.
“Making sure nobody forgets about him, you know,” Armstead said. “Just letting everybody know we’re thinking about him.”
Come Saturday, when the Ducks host Colorado in Autzen Stadium (1:30 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Networks), a different friend and teammate of Brown’s will sport No. 85. Receiver Dwayne Stanford, Brown’s roommate and fellow Ohio native, will switch from his No. 88 to Brown’s number for the remainder of this season.
Stanford said he discussed that possibility with Brown while the tight end was still recovering in a Utah hospital immediately after the game. Football equipment manager Kenny Farr cleared the way for Stanford to wear No. 85 this week, but the receiver was thinking big-picture.
“I asked, let me rep it the rest of the year, and he came through for me,” Stanford said this week.
Stanford said he was still in regular contact with Brown, and several teammates and coaches seem to be. Today, UO coach Mark Helfrich said the tight end watches practice film daily on his iPad, and discusses the Ducks’ progress with teammates.
“So he’s still into it, and coaching those guys up from afar,” Helfrich said.
The UO coach also described Brown as “doing great academically,” and said he’s “in unbelievably high spirits right now.”
Other observations: This was Oregon’s walk-through for Saturday’s game, so there aren’t any “highlights” per se to pass along. … As is customary, there was a one-off field-goal attempt just after stretching, a 39-yard kick that Matt Wogan hit. … Even though it was a walk-through tempo, Marcus Mariota still looked really fast. That guy is just pedal to the metal all the time, never takes his foot off the gas.
