As the Oregon Ducks entered October, they seemed to be in a fairly good place. They were sitting at 4-1, coming off a 45-24 win over Cal, and very easily could have been 5-0, having lost to Arizona State by just two points.
But then, the Ducks saw the impact of losing quarterback Justin Herbert, who broke his collarbone in the win over Cal. The following week against Washington State, freshman Braxton Burmeister completed 15-of-27 passes for just one touchdown with two interceptions as the Ducks lost 33-10. Those 10 points all came in the first quarter.
Then, against Stanford, Burmeister looked as if Willie Taggart had just turned to the stands, picked a fan, and told him to suit up and lead the offense.