alt=Jeff CallPROVO — It’s been two years since BYU redshirt sophomore quarterback Joe Critchlow has taken snaps in a game.
Critchlow returned home from his mission in the summer of 2017 and began that season No. 4 on the depth chart as a true freshman. But after a rash of injuries, he ended up becoming the starter by the end of the year. Critchlow started three games, leading the Cougars to a 2-1 record.
“It was communicated to me my freshman year that I was going to redshirt and I wouldn’t touch the field because it was my time to learn and watch practice,” he said. “But when my time came, I felt like I prepared and I had the mindset the entire season that if I went in, I would need to do well. I know that when I did play in those three games, there were mistakes that I made and I could have played better. But those were great opportunities for me to learn going into the future.”
Since redshirting last year, Critchlow has been patiently waiting for his chance to play.
“This season’s definitely been a challenge,” he said. “It’s always difficult for a competitor to see other people fighting on the field and us coming up short. I would love an opportunity to help this team win, so it’s been difficult. I’m in a position where I would love to be on the field. I’ve kept the same mindset ever since my freshman year. I need to prepare like I will play every week. That will help me in practice throughout the week and help me be ready in case my time comes.”
At the start of the season, Critchlow found himself behind Zach Wilson and Jaren Hall on the depth chart, sharing third-string status with redshirt freshman Baylor Romney. Wilson suffered a thumb injury against Toledo and Hall became the new starter. Last Saturday, when Hall suffered an injury against South Florida, coaches summoned Romney to replace Hall.
Going into the game, Critchlow said it wasn’t made clear to him which QB would be Hall’s backup.
“I was a little unsure about that. Obviously, that was a little difficult for me,” he said. “The coaches call up who they want to play and they do their best.”
BYU offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes said this week that the coaches selected Romney as the backup before the South Florida game, explaining that Romney’s skillset is probably more similar to Hall’s than Critchlow’s.
“It allows us to maintain some continuity in the offense,” Grimes said.
Romney will make his first career start Saturday against Boise State if Hall isn’t able to play.
Critchlow praised Romney’s performance last week.
“Baylor went into a very difficult situation and he did his best. I’m proud of him in his first collegiate plays. He made some good plays,” he said. “But I feel like as a team we can definitely get better. As a team, we probably shouldn’t have been in that position that Baylor went into.”
Critchlow added that there’s a lot of support in the quarterback room.
“Throughout it all, we’ve had injuries and quarterback competitions. But I feel that as quarterbacks, we still remain good friends,” he said. “We’re all rooting for one another, no matter who that guy is that’s playing.”
One of the highlights this season for Critchlow, a native of Franklin, Tennessee, was BYU’s 29-26 double-overtime victory at Tennessee on Sept. 7.
“It was amazing. I had a lot of friends and family that were at that game. It was an incredible feeling to come out with the win. It was a game that I know we could have played better in, but it was an amazing feeling at the end,” he said. “Walking out of the stadium and saying goodbye to my family, it was a really cool feeling. The way it ended made it even better. My friends — I would say about 70% of my high school went to school at Tennessee — were furious at the end of the game. They were distraught that Tennessee lost in that way. It was a good win for me and the team.”
Meanwhile, Critchlow will continue to practice and prepare for an opportunity to play in the event it comes his way.
“I’m looking forward to my next shot,” he said. “Collegiate quarterback is a position of patience, for sure.”