PROVO — Decision day arrives this week, perhaps a week or two earlier than expected, for BYU’s offensive coaches and head coach Kalani Sitake.
It’s been the elephant in the room, of sorts, as the Cougars have been the recipients of outstanding quarterback play the past four games since season starter Zach Wilson suffered a fractured thumb in the 28-21 loss to Toledo on Sept. 28.
Do they start Wilson or two-game winner Baylor Romney against Idaho State on Saturday (1 p.m., BYUtv) now that Wilson appears to be ready to return to action? Jaren Hall, the other QB who has started and also played well since Wilson had surgery on Nov. 1, is still in concussion protocol and not likely to be cleared this week.
“We are going to see how he progresses and how everything is healing up... I know that Zach made a lot of improvement from Thursday to Saturday. We will see how much improvement he went from Saturday to today and go from there.” — BYU coach Kalani Sitake
Asked on his Coordinators’ Corner program Monday morning if Wilson could be cleared this week, offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes answered in the affirmative, while head coach Kalani Sitake was less definitive an hour later at his weekly press briefing.
“Yeah, if (Wilson) is cleared to go, then let’s go, let’s see what happens,” Sitake said when he was asked about his expectations for Wilson this weekend. “I think Baylor has done some good things, but I will leave it up to (passing game coordinator Aaron Roderick) and Grimes, and those guys, to figure out which (quarterback) gives us the best chance for victory.”
Seeing as how the FCS Bengals are 3-7 and haven’t scored a touchdown in their last five quarters of play, the 5-4 Cougars could probably start any of five quarterbacks on their roster, or maybe even senior receiver Micah Simon (a former prep quarterback who threw a touchdown pass to Matt Bushman in the 31-24 win over Liberty) and be successful.
But the decision will be watched closely, nevertheless, and could have implications down the road in this day and age of heavy transfers in college football.
Wilson warmed up prior to last Saturday’s game and had plenty of zip on the few passes he threw. Last week, Roderick and Grimes both said Wilson was ahead of schedule in his recovery.
“We are going to see how he progresses and how everything is healing up,” Sitake said Monday. “It it hard to gauge that right now. We will probably know more after practice and know a little bit more as we go from day to day. I know that Zach made a lot of improvement from Thursday to Saturday. We will see how much improvement he went from Saturday to today and go from there.”
Coordinators’ Corner host Greg Wrubell, director of broadcast media for BYU, asked Grimes if Wilson is “automatically” the starter because he held that title before he was injured while trying to make a tackle after being intercepted in the Toledo game.
“I think that is a tough thing to speak against, given how well he has played, his volume of work, and the fact that he had been the clear, proven starter prior to that,” Grimes said. “But we really haven’t discussed it as a staff yet. So that will be (discussed). He hasn’t really practiced yet. … This would be the week for that, to find that out, yeah.”
Grimes also had plenty of praise for Romney, the former third-stringer who guided the Cougars to a 28-25 upset of No. 14 Boise State by completing 15 of 26 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns in his first start and was 23 of 33 for 262 yards and three TDs against Liberty.
In between those starts, the redshirt freshman relieved Hall against USU and completed 10 of 16 passes for 214 yards and two TDs. Romney’s passer efficiency rating is 159.8, while Wilson’s is 129.5.
Romney has “absolutely, no question” exceeded expectations, Grimes said.
“I have not been in a position where we have had three quarterbacks as good as we do now,” said the former LSU running game coordinator. “I have not been in a position where we have had two quarterbacks as good as we do. So we are just really fortunate to have guys that can come in and play like that. Baylor just continues to show his poise and confidence. Just really, really impressive.”
Enough to hold onto the starting job?
Two weeks ago, when Hall was coming back from his first concussion and Romney was coming off the big win over Boise State, Roderick said it would be a “staff decision” but that he would “take the lead” on formulating an opinion among offensive coaches. They picked Hall, and he was 12 of 16 for 214 yards and ran seven times for 54 yards and two TDs before sustaining his second concussion at the end of the first half.
“I have the most interaction with the guys and I watch them more closely than anybody else,” Roderick said. “We will talk about it as a staff. I value everyone’s opinion. Then we will run it through Kalani. But yeah, I will take the heat. It is probably as much my decision as anyone’s.”
And it is happening again.
Cougars on the air
Idaho State (3-7) at BYU (5-4)
At LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo
Saturday, 1 p.m.
TV: BYUtv/ESPN3
Radio: 1160 AM, 102.7 FM
BYU’s starting quarterbacks over the last five games
Zach Wilson vs. Toledo: 22 of 38, 315 yards, 1 TD, 1 int.
Jaren Hall vs. South Florida: 15 of 23, 148 yards, 1 TD
Baylor Romney vs. Boise State: 15 of 26, 221 yards, 2 TDs
Jaren Hall vs. Utah State: 12 of 16, 214 yards, 0 TDs
Baylor Romney vs. Liberty: 23 of 33, 262 yards, 3 TDs, 1 int.
Note: Romney replaced Hall in both the South Florida game — where he went 6 of 10 for 73 yards and no TDs — and the USU game — where he was 10 of 16 for 191 yards and two TDs.