Here we go again.
BYU has another quarterback controversy on its hands. Same two guys as last season. Only difference is, I have a feeling Riley Nelson is the lead candidate this time around. Not Jake Heaps.
Following more struggles from "Saint Jake" on Friday night against Utah State, Cougars offensive coordinator Brandon Doman decided to bring in Nelson with five minutes left in the 3rd quarter. Turned out to be the best call he's made all season because Nelson came in and worked the Utah State defense. He ran hard. He threw the ball well enough to move the chains and he even had some solid luck.
What Nelson showed everyone watching is that he's a natural born leader. And based on some of the comments made by his teammates and coach Mendenhall following BYU's 27-24 win over Utah State, Riley is the man they want under center.
Listen, the sophomore slump is the real deal and Heaps is experiencing every bit of it. Is he still the quarterback of the future at BYU? Nelson, keep in mind, does have another year of eligibility left. Which brings up the question, if Bronco makes Riley his starting quarterback the rest of this season, what will happen next season?
This could turn into a messy situation. And I respect Heaps for the way he's handled all of this. Then again, I'm pretty sure even he knows he's not playing great.
Whatever happens, Heaps' confidence is nowhere close to being sky high right now. In fact, I bet it's as low as ever. And that's a problem. Going with Riley from here on out won't fix it. But will keeping Heaps as the starter mean more wins down the road? Whoever the man turns out to be, the upcoming schedule should help him find his groove (San Jose State, Oregon State, Idaho State).
Cougar fans, who do you want the starter to be?
