Dealing with injuries is an unfortunate reality when it comes to the game of football. Last week, Oregon and Oregon State both dealt with ailments to significant members of their football teams. Both the Ducks and Beavers revealed that on Tuesday that things were looking better for those injured starters.

In Eugene, reports from practice on Tuesday point towards the return of running back Royce Freeman and tight end Pharaoh Brown. Both players missed last week’s loss to Colorado and Freeman missed almost all of the loss at Nebraska.

Freeman was suffering from a leg injury suffered in the first quarter against Nebraska. He was able to take part in portions of Oregon’s practices last week, but was held out of Saturday’s home game against the Buffalo. According to a report from the Oregonian, running backs coach Gary Campbell says that Freeman has participated in practices this week without limitations and is expected to be available on Saturday against Washington State.

Brown, who suffered an ankle injury and missed the Colorado game, is also mentioned as a player expected to participate in Saturday’s game, according to the Oregonian report.

Oregon travels to Pullman, Wash. on Saturday to face the Washington State Cougars at 6:30 p.m.

In Corvallis, the Oregon State Beavers are preparing for the start of their Pac-12 Conference season. The Beavers are headed to Boulder to face Colorado and it appears that starting quarterback Darrell Garretson will be joining the team. Garretson sat out the second half of Saturday’s loss to Boise State, but he was left off the team’s injury report for this week and was reportedly involved in all the first team reps for the Beavers at practice on Tuesday. Gina Mizell from the Oregonian reports that offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven saw no ill effects from nagging injuries for Garretson.

Freshman Connor Blount filled in for Garretson against Boise State and has been officially moved to second string on the Beavers’ depth chart.

Hear more about the Beavers’ preparations for their game against Colorado tonight on 1490 The Score. It’s the Beavers Sports Talk coaches show, starting at 6:05 p.m.

Oregon State visits Colorado on Saturday for a kickoff at 11:30 a.m.