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PROVO -- As the BYU Cougars begin preparing this week for the Armed Forces Bowl against Tulsa, quarterback Riley Nelson looks to build on his career day against the Hawaii Warriors in BYU's regular season finale. By playing the best game of his career on the islands, Nelson joined a select group of BYU quarterbacks.
Nelson deified the odds just to make the trip to Hawaii, let alone play in the game. When he left the game against Idaho on November 12 with rib and lung injuries, doctors said he would need four weeks to recover. Just three weeks later, Nelson set career highs in pass attempts (25), pass completions (37), passing yards (363), and tied his career high for touchdown passes (three) in a game. Only a handful of other BYU quarterbacks have bounced back from injury with a memorable performance the way Nelson did.
Here they are:
John Walsh, October 23, 1993, vs. Fresno State
One week earlier against Notre Dame, John Walsh left the game after attempting just five passes. He was sidelined by a knee injury. Doctors cleared Walsh to play the next week, but the knee wasn’t 100 percent. Coaches opted to let Walsh rest. Facing a 17-3 deficit with just a few minutes left in the first half, coaches scrapped that plan and sent Walsh into the game.
On his only drive of the first half, Walsh threw a touchdown pass. In the second half, Walsh and the Cougar offense furiously fought for a win. Despite 28 fourth quarter points, BYU came up just short and lost 48-45. However, Walsh passed the test finishing 22 of 35 for 439 yards with 5 touchdown passes and no interceptions.
Marc Wilson, September 8, 1979, at Texas A&M
Going into the season-opener, Marc Wilson had barely practiced. He missed two-a-days recovering from appendicitis. His 6-5 frame was a meager 179 pounds. The night before the game, Wilson was fighting a 103-degree fever. The Texas A&M players were well aware of Wilson’s appendectomy. He was wearing a big target going against the No. 14 team in the nation.
Wilson didn’t have gaudy stats against the Aggies. He completed just 17-of-35 pass attempts for 165 yards, but he came up big when it mattered most. Wilson threw two second-half touchdowns. The last one came with just 52 seconds left in the game, which pulled BYU within one, 17- 16. On the ensuing two-point conversion, Wilson connected with Mike Lacey to lift BYU to a 18-17 win. It was the first real marquee win for the BYU football program.
John Beck, September 28, 2006, at TCU
Folowing a game at Boston College on September 16, John Beck was hobbling on both ankles. His condition was severe enough that Coach Bronco Mendenhall kept him out of the Utah State game a week later. With a big Thursday night game at No. 15 TCU next on the schedule, Beck suited up even though his ankles were still aching.
Sitting on a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter, Beck made a bold move on fourth-and-1. Rather than merely convert the first down, Beck dropped back to pass and completed a 16-yard out. Beck’s first touchdown pass — a 40-yard bomb to Michael Reed — came on 3rd down. Beck completed another big third down pass early in the fourth quarter before completing a 26-yard touchdown pass to answer a TCU touchdown and push the lead back to 14. Beck finished the game 23 of 37 for 321 yards and 3 touchdowns. This win propelled BYU to a perfect season in the Mountain West Conference and the Cougars finished the year ranked No. 15.
Robbie Bosco, December 21, 1984, vs. Michigan
In a game with the national championship on the line, Robbie Bosco entered the contest nursing ankle and rib injuries. Nine minutes into the first quarter, he was carried off the field with a knee injury. He didn’t think he would return.
Bosco did return, but the injury forced BYU to do something it hadn’t done all season long: use the shotgun. On his first series back, Bosco hobbled for a 13- yard gain on the way to getting BYU its first touchdown of the game. Trailing in the fourth quarter, Bosco rose to the occasion. He threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to tie the game. Then, with 4:36 remaining, Bosco led the Cougars on an 83-yard game-winning drive. It took a little over three minutes, and it concluded with Bosco scrambling in the pocket before completing the game-winning touchdown pass. It may have been the gutsiest performance by any BYU quarterback ever. Bosco completed an impressive 30 of 42 passes for 343 yards.
Riley Nelson’s name can now join these four former Cougars as quarterbacks who played some of their best football in their worst physical health.
More writings by Scott Rappleye can be found at http://www.bluecougarfootball.com. He can be contacted via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com.
