BYU will reportedly be missing two of its main offensive weapons when the No. 21 Cougars take on No. 9 Baylor on Saturday.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that receivers Puka Nacua and Gunner Romney will both miss the game against the Bears due to injury.
Nacua went down in the first quarter of BYU’s season opener last week against South Florida with an injury, while Romney missed the game against USF entirely.
In their absence, wide receivers like Keanu Hill, Chase Roberts, Kody Epps and Brayden Cosper received extensive opportunities against the Bulls and will likely be counted on again against Baylor.
Nacua, a junior, and Romney, a senior, are BYU’s top two receivers this season, and the pair combine for 60% of the Cougars’ returning receiving yards, per Thamel.
Nacua scored two rushing touchdowns last week in the 50-21 win over South Florida — including a 75-yarder on the game’s first play — before leaving later in the first quarter with an apparent ankle injury.
He finished the game with three carries for 76 yards and one reception for 22 yards.
Romney, meanwhile, hasn’t practiced much for BYU since the first week of fall camp, per the Deseret News’ Jay Drew, though Cougar offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said they thought he was close to playing last week against USF.
BYU quarterback Jaren Hall had the opportunity to work with his younger receivers over the final three quarters last week and completed passes to 12 different receivers against the Bulls.
Epps led all Cougars with four receptions for 26 yards, Roberts added three catches for a team-high 41 yards, Cosper had three receptions for 27 yards and Hill caught a 21-yard touchdown pass, his lone catch of the game.
The Cougars also got multiple receptions from their top two tight ends, as Dallin Holker had three catches for 39 yards and Isaac Rex added two receptions for 23 yards.