Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
BYU running back Jamaal Williams will miss the rest of the season after suffering multiple knee injuries in the Cougars 27-7 win at Middle Tennessee on Saturday.
"Significant injury," said head coach Bronco Mendenhall on Monday, when asked about Williams' status. "Surgery tomorrow, done for the year. It's severe and multiple. Significant and severe, is what I was told."
Williams left the game after taking hard hit to the lower body following a key third-down catch late in the third quarter. At the BYU sideline, a clearly distraught Williams reclined on the training table with his right knee on ice, a towel covering his head. A steady stream of teammates made their way to Williams' side as the game wound down.
"I'm not sure if he thought it was bad right away," said Mendenhall. "He kind of felt like it hyper-extended. Again, his first question was 'did I catch the ball?' I don't think any of us knew to what extent, other than he took a direct hit, right to the knee. I'm not sure (Williams) thought it was this severe."
The loss of Williams means BYU will finish the campaign without its two most potent offensive players from 2013; quarterback Taysom Hill suffered a season-ending leg fracture in the fifth game of the season.
Last year, Hill and Williams combined for 2,577 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns. BYU was the only FBS team returning a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in 2014. This season, Hill and Williams combined for 978 rushing yards and 12 scores, in 12 combined games. Williams missed the season-opener at UConn due to suspension, then missed most of the Central Florida contest and the entire Nevada game with an ankle injury.
Mendenhall conceded that playing without his dynamic duo for most of the season has contributed to a 5-4 record through nine games.
"The combination of (the Hill/Williams injuries), with maybe more youth than I even acknowledged at the beginning defensively, would have been one of the challenges," said Mendenhall, "but I'm still optimistic for a strong season and a good finish."
Following a bye week this week, BYU is home to UNLV on November 15th. The game will kick at 5:00 p.m. MST and will be televised on ESPNU. KSL Radio pregame coverage will begin that day at 3:00 p.m.
*******
Mendenhall said his team's weekend win showcased "a much more complete second half and a much more complete football game than what we have had recently."
BYU took a game that that was tied 7-7 at halftime and broke it open with a consistent second stanza that saw Middle Tennessee limited to 69 yards of total offense as the Cougars blanked the Blue Raiders 20-0 after the intermission.
"I was as concerned going into that game as any we've played," said Mendenhall, "in terms of (the opponent's) big-play potential. It was the most consistent (defensive) football we have played yet--regardless, beginning of the season, middle...and we're starting to find a dynamic that works, not only coaching-staff wise, but players and the different roles they fit. I was really encouraged by what I saw. I'm critical, and I was really encouraged by how they played. We're starting to get a better idea--finally--of who can be effective and at which spots.
"I think we improved in quite a few areas if not every area, and gained some momentum going into the bye week for what we hope is a great November and a great finish to our season."
With five wins on the season and FCS foe Savannah State shaping up as a walkover-win-in waiting on Nov. 22, BYU has all but mathematically assured itself of a berth in the Miami Beach Bowl on Dec. 22.
"BYU football is postseason (football)," says Mendenhall. "This will be my tenth year, and ten bowl games, when we're able to accomplish that. No matter what program you are coaching, it is difficult to maintain consistency, so that's one of the things left, but again, we're anxious for more."
*******
Mendenhall says the team's approach during its second of two bye weeks will be focused on rest and recovery. He says the first practice won't be until Thursday, with light practices scheduled on Thursday and Friday.
"I'd like to get as healthy a team as we can have going into our game versus UNLV. That would be first and foremost. Secondly is the development of some of our our younger players. We need to give them enough work to continue our progress.
"Our last bye (week), it was 'how much execution, how much work could we get, how much contact could we have.' This bye format isn't really in relation to the last one; it's just in relation to where our team currently is. The team is different now--the number of injuries, the number of guys that are still recovering."
*******
Mendenhall said the health status of safety Craig Bills is unclear going into the bye week. After suffering a concussion early in the game at UCF, Bills missed the remainder of that game and the entire game versus Nevada, before returning to action at Boise State. Last week, he did not travel to Middle Tennessee.
"I don't know what his status will be," Mendenhall said on Monday. "Anytime there is a head injury, I'm always concerned. My first concern for him is his health and well being. I don't know his status going forward right now."
*******
On the play of quarterback Christian Stewart, Mendenhall said "I think he's good, and I think he has played well enough to give us a chance in every game that he has started."
Asked if backup McCoy Hill could function capably as Stewart's fill-in, Mendenhall said Hill "is capable of taking over some parts of the offense. We would have to look at a multiple-threat approach to give us enough scoring power. It wouldn't be conventional if we got to that point."
Safety Kai Nacua played option QB in high school and has taken some practice snaps behind center for BYU since Taysom Hill's departure.
*******
