We weren’t even 2 games into this 2015 college football season and already two star QB’s of the best independent teams were gone for the season with fractured ankles. BYU’s Taysom Hill (Lisfranc Fracture) Notre Dame’s Malik Zaire lead the crusade of the QB crutches. Virginia Tech, Syracuse and Kansas State also lost starting QB’s for the season already AND Utah’s senior Travis Wilson’s once again down and out, this time it’s reportedly relatively minor.
A painful shoulder sprain will likely keep Wilson out at Fresno State (Kendall Thompson, Devontae Booker and company might stuff their stats in Fresno next Saturday, Ole Miss just hung 73 points and piled up more than 600 yards of total offense yards on the Bulldogs).
What about Chuckie?
Memories of back-back knee surgeries costing Utah State QB Chuckie Keaton back to back seasons flashed through Aggie Nation Friday night when Keaton took a direct shot on his knee, Keaton limped around the rest of the night and Utah repeatedly rocked Chuckie but he survived and almost led the Aggies back Salt Lake City.
Course the major pains not limited to quarterbacks, the Utes staff very quiet about the condition of “Sack Lake City’s” top returning sackman Hunter Dimick.
The former Syracuse High star left early in Friday night’s in-state battle against Utah State with an apparent knee injury. There’s a sense Dimick’s injury is not complicated but could keep him out a while. So don’t be surprised if the Utes take advantage of one of the few schedule breathers, resting several key players next Saturday at Fresno State. Wilson, Dimick, Covey (maybe?) Coach Whit, rest ’em while you can. Utah opens up PAC12 play Saturday after next at Oregon.
Course Hunter Dimick’s not the only All Pac-12 defensive player out, Arizona may be 2-0 but the two wins have been costly. Scooby Wright’s one of the PAC’-12’s most lethal defenders (2014 Nagurski Trophy, Lombardi Award and Bednarik Award winner) is expected to miss three or four weeks for the 22nd-ranked Wildcats and UCLA’s licking some serious wounds too. Jr defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes is out for the rest of the season after tearing an ACL in the Bruins season-opening win over Virginia.
Very healthy numbers!
Once upon a time, high-profile QB’s Taysom Hill and Chuckie Keaton had their time in the hot Heisman Trophy spotlight but now that injuries have moved both off the list, it’s time for Devontae Booker to pile up the production! Even with his OLine largely inneffecive through the first two games and facing very talented fronts from Michigana and Utah State, both units devoted to dogging Devontae all game long, Booker’s still accumulating base numbers to keep himself in the Heisman conversation. He’s the 2-0 Utes leading rusher with 200 rushing yards (3.6 per carry) and two TDs. Booker’s also Utah’s second-leading receiver (9 catches for 70 yards, nearly 8 yards per catch) but he really needs a break out game to capture national attention and pile up some phat stats that will get everybody talking . Like maybe at Fresno State? A trip to Fresno could be just what Dr Booker ordered!
Follow that up with a career game, maybe 34 carries for 189 yards, 3 TDs, leading his Utes to the programs’ biggest win in the PAC12, at Oregon on September 26th. Suddenly Booker’s a serious Heisman hopeful, his Utes are 4-0, a legit top 10 team!
Once again… all is right in the world!
