Date: Mon, 23 Nov 92 11:27:18 MST
From: zimms@newt.ee.byu.edu (Stephen H. Zimmerman)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.college
Distribution: world
Organization: Brigham Young University, Provo UT USA
Subject: Re: BYU QB (was Re: FIVE WAC BOWL TEAMS????)


In article <17826@borg.cs.unc.edu>, morse@satie.cs.unc.edu (Bryan Morse) writes:
>[I sent mail to kenton, but thought other BYU fans might like to know this.]
>
>In article <1992Nov23.125047.10151@porthos.cc.bellcore.com> kenton@navaho.cc.bellcore.com (gidewall,kenton c) writes:
>>I heard that BYU QB Ryan Hancock had a knee injury in the game
>>against Utah Saturday.  (extra deleted)
>
>For those who aren't up on the BYU QB situation:
>
>1st  Steve Walsh     Sophomore. Injured early in the season against UCLA.  
>                     Healthy now, but can preserve a year of eligibility by 
>                     not returning.
>2nd  Steve Clements  Redshirt sophomore.  Injured against Hawaii (the next 
>                     game after UCLA).  Same injury as Walsh, but more severe 
>                     and out for the season.
3rd  Ryan Hancock    Originally in the running for the starting spot, but an
>                     injury during the spring took him out of contention.
>                     Got the chance to start after the others went down.
>                     Definitely the top man right now.  Injured against Utah.
>                     Status: ???
4th  Tom Young       Freshman.  Steve and Mike's little brother.  Has only
>                     taken a few snaps playing mop-up for Hancock.
>
>What's the latest word in Provo about Hancock's status?
>

I talked to Joe Herrick (BYU's pooch punter) yesterday, and here's the
scoop...

Ryan Hancock has most likely torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his right
knee (OUCH!) and will need an operation.  Hancock was quoted as saying that
the injury was due to a "cheap shot" by Utah's Cedric Crawford.  This comes as
no suprise to anyone who saw the game--the only people who showed worse sports-
manship than the Ute players were the Ute fans. They once again showed a
classless attitude.  My friend and her grandma who went up to the game were
repeatedly showered with chewed-up gum, snowballs and litter.  It's too bad
that the lopsided "rivalry" has made them so bitter. I am happy, though, to
see that they were invited to the Copper Bowl and I'll definitely root for
them in their game against WSU.

Anyway, Hancock will need reconstructive surgery and 6-9 months of
rehabilitation, so he is DEFINITELY out for the Aloha Bowl. My feeling is that
he won't play football again.  It is just too dangerous to his very promising baseball career.

Lavell Edwards said, "John Walsh is really not ready to play."  Herrick added
that he felt that Walsh chose not to play to preserve his eligibility.  But the
team seems to feel that Tom Young actually has better passing/running skills--
he just lacks the timing experience and "crunch-time" play that Hancock was used
to as a relief pitcher.  Herrick told me that the coaches will work with Tom on
timing and that they will have 10-12 practices between now and Christmas day.

Incidentally, the 5th string quarterback is Paul Shoemaker--but he is
red-shirting this year and plans to leave on an LDS mission before next season,
so he will almost definitely NOT play.  That leaves walk-on quarterback Chris
Gulsted who has travelled with the team on road trips as an emergency QB.
Herrick said, though, that neither Shoemaker nor Gulstead knows the offense
very well.  Who would have thought it would come to this?

My own feeling:  the injury to Hancock will hurt the team a little, but the
whole team will rally around Tom Young and be up for the game.

Steve