Chase Roberts is a survivor. Over the course of his Cougar career, the senior receiver from Highland, Utah, has been dinged from head to toe — or Achilles, which is what he’s currently dealing with — but he plays on.
A catch on Saturday at Colorado (8:15 p.m., ESPN) will extend Roberts’ streak to 30 consecutive games with a reception and likely push his career yards over 2,000 and into the top 15 in program history.
What’s most surprising is none of the ailments that have slowed Roberts down are the result of whiplash — and he’s had plenty of that with four different starting quarterbacks. Every time (or year) that he turns around, he’s catching a pass from someone new.
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound target has touchdown grabs from Jaren Hall, Kedon Slovis, Jake Retzlaff and Bear Bachmeier. When Roberts chose to return to BYU for his final year to prepare for the NFL, he expected to have a senior quarterback (Retzlaff) throwing him the ball. Instead, after Retzlaff’s transfer to Tulane, Roberts is breaking in a true freshman — and he’s OK with it.
“Every year I have had a new quarterback and to be able to work with new guys and to build that chemistry, it’s only making me a better football player,” Roberts told the BYUtv Sports Nation “GameDay” pregame show. “It’s much more than football and being able to become close friends with Bear and Tiger (Bachmeier) and the new transfers that have come in has been a great blessing in my life.
“On the field, that takes care of itself as you keep playing together and working and grinding,” he continued. “I think that’s been our focus this past couple of months as we have known the starting quarterback. It will only get better from here as you have seen our passing game improve.”
The constant comings and goings of quarterbacks is something Roberts was prepped for while he adjusted to new companions during his two-year church mission to Calgary, Alberta.
“I think that’s a perfect correlation — the mission to football and being able to just work with what you’ve got and trust in the process,” Roberts said. “Whether it’s a new guy, whether it’s a whole new system, whether you’re switching to defense, whatever it is, you just go out and play.
“I love the game so much and I love the way a mission works and growing yourself to become like your Savior, Jesus Christ — that’s what it’s all about. So, being put into situations that might be difficult, but in the end are going to help you grow the most.”
Roberts’ mission experience, where he spoke Tagalog, also taught him how to mentor newcomers to succeed in a challenging environment away from home. He will rely on those skills again Saturday when Bachmeier starts his first Big 12 game in a raucous environment in Boulder.
“I think telling him that he’s doing a great job — and he is. I think you get a lot of pressure as a young quarterback and think things have to be perfect,” said Roberts who plans to remind Bachmeier that — “We trust you. You are the man to lead this team. Trust in your instincts. Go play loose and have fun.”
In his first Division I road game last week at East Carolina, Bachmeier threw for 246 yards with 97 of those going to Roberts on five receptions. Through three games, Bachmeier has yet to throw an interception.
“I think the biggest thing is his confidence level — knowing that he can sling it and throw at this level and being able to read the defenses,” Roberts said. “We have been in the film room and understanding more about the defense and how we are connecting — when I’m going to come out of my break and where I’m going to sit.
“It just comes with time, right? Over the course of the last three weeks, we’ve been able to hone in on that.”
Bachmeier still has a way to go — and plenty of time to get there, which is not the case for Roberts. This is his last blast before taking a shot at playing professionally. However, under the circumstances — it’s so far, so good for both of them. Through three games, the emergence of another quarterback, even a true freshman, hasn’t given Roberts’ whiplash and it also hasn’t curtailed his ability to turn a few heads of his own.
Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.