Any worries among BYU football fans that star freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier won’t play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl were put to rest Thursday by offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick as the Cougars conducted their first practice since the demoralizing 34-7 loss to Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship game.
Bachmeier sustained a left ankle injury in Arlington just as BYU was taking a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, and was not the same after that. The next day, photos appeared online of the QB wearing a protective boot on his left foot, even as head coach Kalani Sitake was saying the Californian “will be fine” moving forward.
“Yeah, he’s a fast healer,” Sitake said.
Roderick said that Bachmeier didn’t practice Thursday, which also marked the beginning of final exams for BYU students, but the OC noted that the QB “will play in the (bowl) game.”
Roderick said the injury is “not severe” and that if the game was today, Bachmeier would have “gutted it out and played.”
Bachmeier threw for 115 yards and rushed for 24 yards (before sacks were subtracted from his total) in his roughest outing of the season against the Red Raiders.
What gives Roderick confidence that he will play in the bowl game on Dec. 27 against No. 22 Georgia Tech?
“All the medical people, himself, everybody,” Roderick said. “He is good. It is not anything that anybody is worried about.”
Since the loss, at least two BYU players — both receivers — announced they have entered the transfer portal via social media. True freshman LaMason Waller and redshirt freshman Dominique McKenzie are moving on.
Asked if any other players will opt out of the bowl game, Roderick seemed unconcerned.
“I haven’t heard of any yet. As far as I know, everybody’s excited to play in this game. Like today, we had everybody out here, dressed and (ready) to practice.”
In the fourth quarter in the loss to Texas Tech, when it was apparent that Bachmeier was not 100%, some fans began wondering why the ineffective QB was still in the game. Roderick said he never entertained thoughts of making a switch.
“I mean, he was a little banged up, but I think with the adrenaline and everything, he kept saying, ‘No, I’m good to go.’ And so we never really got to that discussion, no,” Roderick said.
Bowl games are often tricky, as some teams treat them like the Super Bowl and others use them as a reward for players for a well-played season, and not much else. Roderick said the former should apply to the Cougars.
“Just because of what kind of guys we have on this team. These guys like to play. We have had a great year, and (have) one last chance to go play together,” he said. “That’s just who these guys are. They show up every week and that last game was a tough one, but we have showed up every game to compete and we will again.”
Will the defense have any opt outs?
Defensive coordinator Jay Hill also spoke to reporters after Thursday’s practice and said his unit is deep into bowl prep and preparing for one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks the Cougars will face this season, Georgia Tech’s Haynes King.
Like Roderick, Hill does not anticipate a large number of players choosing to not participate in the bowl game.
“That is the way of the world right now. I don’t really see it happening much at BYU,” Hill said. “We have great kids that want to play one more game together. That is such an individual decision that they have to handle on their own. I think we will have the big majority of our guys, for sure.”
