Although the scoreboard didn't show it, Oregon coach Mark Helfrich has suffered his first coaching defeat.



Even though Oregon trounced Tennessee 59-14 on Saturday to run its record to 3-0 and retain its No. 2 national ranking, the Ducks' first-year coach suffered his first setback in how he dealt with the absence of Colt Lyerla, his star tight end.



Helfrich told the media after the game that Lyerla was not at Autzen Stadium because of "circumstances." When asked if Lyerla was healthy, Helfrich again said "circumstances." When asked to be more specific, Helfrich smiled and continued the cat-and-mouse game he likes to play with the media.



"Circumstances is extremely specific,'' Helfrich said with a smile. "That's one word.''



As many in the media are wont to do, they guffawed at the coach's attempt to be cute. But Lyerla was at his Eugene home with an entirely different reaction.



"I'm really upset with the way coach Helfrich said that after the game,'' Lyerla said Sunday. "Really disappointed. I feel hurt about this. I watched a little bit of what he said, then started reading all of it, and ... it was unfair.''



Lyerla says he was ill, causing him to miss practices on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Per team rules regarding the number of practices one needs to go through, he said he knew he wasn't going to play. He was told to stay home Saturday and get rest.



"Circumstances,'' Lyerla said echoing his coach's explanation. "He didn't say I was sick all week.''



When Helfrich said "circumstances," then stuck with it when prodded for elaboration, human nature sent people's minds wandering to some pretty dark places. I know. I was one of them.



Lyerla last summer was held out of nine practices for what the team called "personal issues." Now, fairly or unfairly, questions resurfaced. Had those "issues" returned? What did Colt do? Is he in trouble? Will he be back?



I'm embarrassed to say that after leaving the postgame press conference, I tweeted that it was obvious Lyerla didn't have the flu, like the television broadcast said. But that prompted a conversation with a colleague. Was it fair of me to go there? Why did I allow myself to go there? Why did Helfrich use such an open-ended word like "circumstances"?



As we drove back to Portland, my colleague and I both concluded it wasn't fair to Lyerla. Intentional or not, Helfrich had opened a can of worms. All the conjecture, all the theories, all the rumors were fueled instead of squashed.



Maybe it's not Helfrich's job to worry about where our minds wander. And maybe I'm as much to blame as anyone for allowing my mind to speculate or wonder.



But isn't part of Helfrich's job to protect his players? Did he do that Saturday?



I understand why Helfrich and Oregon do not comment on injuries. And I understand why they don't open practices to the media or the public. Those tactics, however minute, can help give a team a competitive advantage on Saturdays.



But why not say Lyerla was sick? Or why not say he was held out because he didn't take part in enough practices?



Why create an air of uncertainty about the young man?



"I have no idea why he said that,'' Lyerla said. "It made me really upset. It's not my fault I got sick. I just felt he could have had my back a little bit more instead of throwing me under the bus.''



Helfrich on Sunday evening said he has used the same verbiage with multiple players this season and he didn't think "circumstances" carries any negative connotations.



He also said talking about players' injuries, illnesses or availability is "not what we do," for reasons ranging from privacy to protection of a player to establishing a mindset within the team that eliminates limitations.

Lyerla, now, is trying to figure out how to approach his coach. The team doesn't practice until Tuesday.



"I don't know how to react,'' Lyerla said. "I'm just going to show up on Tuesday and work, and hopefully all of it will work itself out.''



As it turns out, the tables have been turned. Usually it is Helfrich teaching the players life lessons. He preaches that it is OK to make mistakes, as long as one learns from them.



And somewhere in all the gray area of what went on this weekend there a lesson floating around for everybody.

For me, not to be so quick to judge. For Helfrich, realizing that sometimes players do need to be treated differently, that not everyone is the same. There are different personalities. Different temperaments. Different backgrounds on a 105-player team.

And perhaps for Lyerla, a realization that perhaps not everybody is out to get him.

If that can be accomplished, perhaps everybody can look back at Saturday and say they won the day.

-- Jason Quick