Dan Lanning Updates Injury Status of Sam 'Taki' Taimani

Oregon is preparing to face the Cal Golden Bears on the road this week, and they'll attack practice with a mostly healthy roster.

One player that was dinged up in the UCLA win was defensive lineman Sam 'Taki' Taimani, who left the game with an apparent ankle injury in the second half.

Head Coach Dan Lanning updated reporters on the extent of Taimani's injury during his weekly press conference on Monday evening.

"He got a little dinged up in his ankle," Lanning said. "I think he's going to be able to go Saturday we'll see" Lanning told reporters.

The 6-foot-3, 315-pound lineman has played in all seven games for the Ducks and has recorded seven total tackles with one tackle for a loss. Taimani, who transferred to Oregon from the University of Washington this past offseason, has helped the defense stay stout against the run, as the Ducks currently rank second in the conference, allowing just 110.6 rushing yards per game.

The defensive line deserves a good amount of credit for how that side of the ball has performed this year. With a defense still struggling to defend the pass, the big bodies in the trenches can help elevate the unit by clogging gaps and knocking back offensive linemen to disrupt the opposing quarterback.

Fortunately for the Ducks it sounds like Taimani won't be forced to miss much time if any and there's plenty of depth behind him to step up. As we know, Popo Aumavae will be out this season with an injury; the Ducks will look to keep as many players as possible healthy, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

If Taimani is a no-go for this weekend's away game, expect to see a heavier dose of Keyon Ware-Hudson, Jordan Riley, Casey Rogers, Keanu Williams and Jake Shipley.

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