Oregon Ducks vs. Utah Utes

Oregon Ducks tight end Pharaoh Brown (85), catches a second quarter touchdown pass against Utah on Saturday. Brown was later hurt significantly in the second half and remains hospitalized.

(Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian)

Update: LIVE CHAT: Ducks vs. Buckeyes in national title game

EUGENE -- Oregon Ducks tight end Pharaoh Brown remains hospitalized in Salt Lake City this week and is expected to undergo surgery after suffering a season-ending non-contact leg injury in the fourth quarter of the Ducks' 51-27 win against Utah on Saturday evening.



Brown was in stable condition Sunday evening in the surgical intensive care unit at the University of Utah Hospital, according to a nursing supervisor.



Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich, speaking with reporters Sunday evening, was somber in updating Brown's status, saying he was not allowed to travel home with the team. Members of Brown's family and Horace Raymond, Oregon's associate athletic director for player development, stayed with the junior tight end Saturday and Sunday and will continue to be with him.



"Going forward it's a long process but that dude is a competitive guy and it's already galvanized our team," Helfrich said. "We walk into the locker room last night coming off the field and it was an unbelievable situation, a tough situation and just reveals more and more about our guys that we like."



Helfrich said that Kim Terrell, UO's associate director of athletic medicine, will fly to Salt Lake City on Monday, as well.





Oregon tight end Pharaoh Brown (85) is taken from the field after being injured in the fourth quarter.

"He needs to go through a couple of procedures here in the next, again it's a generalized three-to-seven days approximately, to get as best a foundation as can be had going forward for his long-term prognosis, which we don't know at this point at all," Helfrich said. "He's out for the season. Obviously a short-term meaningless thing really at this point in a lot of ways but he's there, has a ton of support."



"... Unfortunately that was a significant injury. If you're a prayerful person, a thoughtful person obviously our thoughts and hearts are with Pharaoh as well as a couple Utah guys who had unbelievably significant non-contact injuries in that game."



Utah lost starting quarterback Kendal Thompson for the game after a non-contact leg injury on a pass attempt early in the first quarter, when his leg appeared to buckle. In the second half, receiver Tim Patrick also suffered a grisly leg injury in the same end zone as Brown's injury when it appeared Patrick's legs were tangled with a defender.

Brown caught 25 passes for 420 yards and six touchdowns this season, becoming one of quarterback Marcus Mariota's most dependable receivers, and coaches lauded his blocking improvements in recent weeks.



-- Andrew Greif | @andrewgreif