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BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall said senior quarterback Riley Nelson "is still beat up" and nursing a back injury, while true freshman QB Taysom Hill got all of the first-string work in Monday's practice.
As it relates to the starter's designation for Friday night's home game with Utah State, Mendenhall said "we'll just go as long we can, and see how it progresses during the week."
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Offensive coordinator Brandon Doman stated that "Riley is just not healthy, and when you're hurt the way he was hurt, he just wasn't able to be who he needed to be for this football team."
"When he's ready to be that guy, and he's healthy, then we'll re-evaluate at that point and get Riley going...back into the swing of things."
Mendenhall said of Nelson's playing status that "so much of it is just based on how he feels and his pain tolerance...and he wants to play desperately in this (USU) game, but he's also realistic, so it's hard to predict."
"I'm just following a very similar format to last week," said Mendenhall after practice. "Chances are probably even more likely that he'll play, than last week, but I thought there was a chance he'd play a week ago, so it's hard to tell."
Doman said Nelson is seeing a doctor each day and was scheduled to visit the doctor tonight, so as a result "we didn't use him much" in practice. But Doman says Nelson "came out and was throwing the ball mad and running fast, and wanting to prove that he's back to normal."
"He looked fine today," said Doman, "but I don't know yet until the doctor tells me."
Nelson called "pretty amusing" a blog report that had him ready to call it quits for his college career. The team captain said on Monday that he felt "really good; this weekend was the first time since the injury happened that I felt significantly better. We're taking steps toward recovery."
"It's really tough, and it's hard sitting out," said Nelson, "because I want to play really, really, really bad--and I'll push it, and try to play through pain, but it has paid off being honest and telling (coaches) how I really feel, because I feel better now than I did."
A former Utah State Aggie, Nelson said he wants "extremely bad" to play Friday night.
"I'm going to do all I can to play," said Nelson, "working with our medical staff and trying to prepare myself, then I'll leave the decision up to the coaches, and trust in their decision. I hope to be playing on Friday, but there's really no telling today--we've got five more days to figure that out."
Reflecting on having played games played while hurt, Nelson said "I want to play every game, and I want to be me, every game, and looking back, as I was battling that injury...yeah, there was pain, and there was limited physical ability, but psychologically, I ceased to become me, and my decision-making (was affected)...and that's what eventually made it that I kind of had to step back and sit down."
"That's the tough part about it, is feeling that an injury beat you, but it's all part of football, and it's a good life lesson to learn, that you can't always push your way through things; sometimes you've got to step back and be patient and let yourself heal."
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Doman had praise for Hill, to whom he referred as "a great football player; he loves to play and he's got great poise."
"If he continues to progress," Doman said, "he'll be a great quarterback at BYU for the next while." Of Hill's performance in his first-ever start last Friday night against Hawaii, Doman said "I don't that I was that surprised."
For his part, the rookie from Pocatello said Monday that "the more you get it, the more you want it," referring to playing time the opportunity to contribute. "I had so much fun last Friday, and I'm looking forward to Utah State."
Asked about the anticipation of receiving a second straight starting nod, Hill said "right now, I'm planning on being the guy; that's my mindset and that's my preparation right now...that's the path that I'm taking."
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You can hear the post-practice media sessions with Mendenhall, Doman, Nelson, Hill, and running back Jamaal Williams in "Cougar Cuts," above left.
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Mendenhall said RB Michael Alisa had surgery to repair a broken right arm on Saturday and is expected to be out six to eight weeks. The coach said back Adam Hine has been limited in practice due to a quad injury, but that "we'd like to play him, at least on special teams, as soon as he's back." Mendenhall listed Hine's status as "possible" for this week's game.
Mendenhall said field goal duties would likely continue to be assigned by distance, with Justin Sorensen handling everything from 35 yards and out, and Riley Stephenson taking care of the closer kicks.
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Photo: Courtesy Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo
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