Nelson out, Heaps thrown into the fire

Ouch. Sure, Riley Nelson is the only one that feels this one physically, but mentally it will hurt Jake Heaps a lot too. Even though there is a bit of anxiety when your spot is on the line, for a team player, there is a bit of comfort to knowing there is another solid player that can replace you if you are struggling and especially if you are a freshman. Also, simply watching Nelson play was of some benefit to Heaps I am sure. Yes, Nelson was more of a runner than a passer, but there were even instances against Washington when you could see Nelson settling into the pocket and looking for a pass to develop, and if it didn’t, simply knowing where to scramble for either more passing time or gain a few yards on the ground. I remember last year, after Nelson would come in for garbage time, the proceeding week Max Hall was noticeably willing to run a bit more instead of being stuck in the pocket when it collapsed.

BYU will miss Nelson's leadership on the field

Yes, Heaps is still a great player and will get some wins, but he will no longer benefit from watching Nelson play right in front of him. It seems like a dull ending to the two-quarterback battle that was going on, but now we know, and more importantly, the wide receivers know, who will be running the offense. I would have been shocked if Heaps didn’t start next year (regardless of whether Nelson got hurt this year or not), but he is starting about three quarters of a season earlier than I expected.


So, with that in mind, what can we expect? The good thing is this isn’t the first time a freshman quarterback has started for BYU. Sure, it is earlier in the season than the only instance of that to happen, but apparently Heaps has shown something that neither Jason Munns nor James Lark has. I don’t know what it is, but I am wondering if there will be any change in the offensive structure due to the solidity of the quarterback situation. Brian Kariya is by far the best blocking back, so perhaps that means JJ DiLuigi will get more time in the slot with Kariya getting more time in the backfield. So far, there hasn't been a consistently catching tight end, so that might mean more time for Ashworth, Jacobsen, Hoffman, and even Matt Marshall. But who knows? Let us know what you think.