For the second consecutive game, BYU lost its starting quarterback during the fourth quarter.
First, the Cougars lost season starter Zach Wilson on Sept. 28 at Toledo to a fractured right (throwing) thumb. Redshirt freshman Jaren Hall stepped in to finish the game.
Two weeks later, after a bye, Hall got the start at South Florida but left the game due to concussion symptoms and Baylor Romney came in.
On Wednesday, offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes said he couldn’t divulge anything more than all three quarterbacks (Hall, Romney and Joe Critchlow) got reps during practice. As to who will get the start against No. 14 Boise State, that won’t be known until Saturday.
Wednesday’s practice was the first for Hall since getting injured. However, he still hasn’t been cleared for game action. Hall said there hasn’t been a timeline set for when he’ll get cleared — it’s more of a day-by-day situation.
If he's not having symptoms, then he can practice.
However, if he's not cleared by Saturday, Hall is confident in Romney's ability to take on the starting quarterback position.
“I just trust the trainers to help me along the process to get me back,” Hall said. “Whatever happens, if Baylor's the guy and gets his number called, I feel confident. I've been with him for years now and I love him very much. I know he'll do a good job if it's his number this week.”
If Romney gets the start, it will be the third time in the last 10 years that BYU has had three different starting quarterbacks. The Cougars most recently had Tanner Magnum, Beau Hoge and Critchlow get starts in 2017.
When Romney filled in for Hall last week, it was his first time in a game since his senior season at Franklin High School in El Paso, Texas. As a member of the 2015 recruiting class, the ESPN three-star quarterback had signed with Nevada before his church mission.
After getting back from his mission in Carlsbad, New Mexico, Romney committed to BYU. One of his main reasons for changing schools was his younger brother, Gunner.
Both joined the Cougars for the 2018 season.
During the USF game, the brothers shared a moment they’ve been waiting for — a Romney-to-Romney connection. The older brother connected with his wide receiver brother a couple of times during BYU’s final drive of the game.
For Gunner, it was years in the making. Ever since they were little kids, throwing the ball around in the backyard, they dreamed about playing on a stage like this.
“So, it was actually a really cool experience to be able to play with him,” Gunner Romney said.
Baylor Romney said that backyard football probably came into play during those moments, but he hadn't even realized he had thrown to his brother at the time.
“We've been working on that all offseason, since we were little kids,” Baylor Romney said.
Boise State is also keeping mum on who will start at quarterback.
The Broncos’ freshman starter, Hank Bachmeier, exited Saturday’s game against Hawaii in the second quarter with a hip injury. Backups Chase Cord and Jaylon Henderson took over for the remainder of the game.
BYU coach Kalani Sitake said the Cougars will prepare for any of the quarterbacks they face Saturday. But he’s comfortable with Baylor Romney should he be needed.
At USF, Sitake thought Baylor Romney entered the game with a lot of confidence and poise.
“We can work with guys that have a lot of confidence,” Sitake said. “We just need to put him in a position that [works] for his strengths. Whether it’s him or Joe or Jaren on the field, we’re working towards that this week.”
