TOLEDO, Ohio — BYU lost more than just a game in Toledo on Saturday, as the Cougars were defeated 28-21 by the Rockets.
BYU may have to play without its top quarterback for a significant length of time as well.
BYU coach Kalani Sitake confirmed after the game that Wilson sustained an injury to the thumb on his right throwing hand and will likely be out for awhile.
“Yeah, we are still evaluating it. I don’t know the time frame, but it looks like he is going to be out for a little bit.” — BYU coach Kalani Sitake, on Zach Wilson’s injury
“Yeah, we are still evaluating it. I don’t know the time frame, but it looks like he is going to be out for a little bit,” Sitake said. “How long that is, we have to evaluate it some more and get more opinions on it and everything. But yeah, we will have to be ready for that.”
Later, Sitake told BYUtv that backup Jaren Hall will start for the Cougars in two weeks against South Florida, after BYU’s bye next week.
Wilson came back onto the field for postgame handshakes and appeared to be favoring his right hand/thumb. His mother, Lisa Wilson, was waiting for him outside the locker room when BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe asked her to take a walk with him outside the view and earshot of reporters.
Wilson missed the Cougars’ final drive, trailing by seven, after throwing a critical interception with just over a minute to play that set up Toledo’s go-ahead score. It appeared that he suffered the injury attempting to tackle the Toledo ball-carrier.
One play after Chaz Ah You stripped Bryant Koback of the ball at the BYU 20-yard line, Wilson threw an interception on an ill-advised pass over the middle that Kahlil Robinson returned to the Cougars’ 2-yard line. Shakif Seymour scored on a 2-yard run to give Toledo the lead with 51 seconds to play.
Hall took the field for BYU on the ensuing drive and completed 3 of 6 passes for 39 yards and drove the Cougars to the Toledo 32 before his final pass — intended for Talon Shumway — went long out of the back of the end zone.
BYU’s sports information department said it had no further information on the extent of Wilson’s injury. The sophomore underwent shoulder surgery last January, but has not missed any time in his two-year BYU career.