
BYU admirers cheer on the team for the duration of a time out in the course of the activity in opposition to Arizona at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021. (BYU Courtesy Picture)

It was by much the most sobering instant of Saturday night’s 24-16 earn for the BYU soccer team more than Arizona in the Vegas Kickoff Common.
When attempting to make a deal with, Cougar defensive again Keenan Ellis received caught at a terrible angle and was on the turf as trainers and medical staff worked to stabilize him in the celebration it was a severe neck or spinal damage.
Just after 15-20 minutes of get the job done, Ellis was inevitably carted off the subject and taken to the healthcare facility.
“It was terrifying,” BYU head coach Kalani Sitake claimed Saturday night time just after the activity. “In those people times you just hope for the finest. We weren’t seeing a whole lot of enhancement ideal away but we were relieved when he begun to appear to. He was shifting his arms and his legs. He retained wanting to get up. Give a lot of credit history to our athletic coaching team. They did a excellent task managing him.”
Which is just one of people moments that puts every thing in point of view and can be difficult to refocus.
“No one likes to see that,” Sitake reported. “It was difficult for us but also for Arizona. That is the scary part of the recreation. There is so a great deal time, a lapse in the match, and we both equally experienced to get back again just after it.”
Cougar defensive lineman Tyler Batty said in the course of the BYU press convention on Monday that the possibility of major personal injury is a fact all university football gamers understand — but that doesn’t make it effortless.
“We’re all truly close on this crew, and so it was scary,” Batty mentioned. “It’s football it’s a violent video game, and you seriously never know what’s likely to transpire.”
The word arrived late Saturday that the exams experienced appear back negative and then on Sunday that he was moving about with no agony in his neck or back.
“Keenan is performing quite excellent suitable now,” Sitake said on Monday. “We go into the concussion protocol. We did almost everything we could and ran the exam, but it looks he’s likely to be excellent. It’s very not likely he’ll engage in this Saturday but we’re just happy to get him back and get him balanced. We’ll get the job done on receiving him back again to whole velocity but football is not what we’re anxious about with him appropriate now.”
Batty explained that was the greatest news the staff could’ve hoped for.
“We’re just actually, definitely delighted that he’s recovering, that he’s undertaking nicely and that it was not more major,” Batty reported.
In addition to Ellis’s injury, Cougar large receiver Gunner Romney also acquired damage and remaining the activity versus the Wildcats.
“Gunner did not occur back again into the match,” Sitake stated. “The fantastic information is that he’s not out for the 12 months. It is day-to-day with him. We’ll see how it goes. It’s been tough on him. He’s uncertain for this Saturday’s video game but you by no means know what could occur in the future 4 to five times. We’ll see what transpires.”
He extra that while there had been other bumps and bruises, the present-day expectation is that no other gamers will be unable to take part in the sport versus rival Utah in Provo on Sept. 11.
“I’m hunting ahead to the match and I know the players are, way too,” Sitake explained. “We didn’t get the game last year, so we’re energized. Our fellas know there is a large amount of perform to be carried out the upcoming handful of days so we can complete at our greatest versus Utah.”
Heading back to Vegas
BYU enthusiasts packed Allegiant Stadium for the sport from the Wildcats, with the announced attendance of 54,541 generating the biggest group to at any time view a university sporting function in the point out of Nevada.
That selection will possible drop in 2022, given that reviews leaked out over the weekend that the Cougars will facial area Notre Dame in Las Vegas future time.
When the date has however to be formally announced, it appears likely the sport will get spot on both Oct. 8 or Oct. 29, considering that equally groups have open up dates on these days.
Period Openers
BYU moves to 5-1 in time openers less than head coach Kalani Sitake, with three wins more than Arizona in that span. Sitake picked up his initially get as a head coach in 2016 in opposition to the Wildcats in an 18-16 victory and one more acquire in 2018 with a 28-23 acquire in Tucson. The Cougars even up the all-time collection with Arizona at 12-12-1. BYU has won the very last three matchups in opposition to the Wildcats.
Extra details
BYU dropped the coin toss to begin the activity, with Arizona deferring to the next fifty percent. The Cougars received the ball to start the game but were being pressured to punt … The captains for the recreation had been offensive lineman James Empey, linebackers Payton Wilgar and Keenan Pili and quarterback Jaren Corridor … The staff flags had been carried out by extensive receiver Puka Nacua, quarterback Sol-Jay Maiva-Peters and defensive back Mitchell Price tag … The alumni flags ended up carried by Matt Bushman (TE, 2017-2020), Tevita Ofahengaue (TE, 1997-2000), Nick Greer (Designed Bar CEO, BYU alum) and Rudy Ruettiger (Notre Dame, 1974-75) … the outside temperature at activity time at Allegiant Stadium was 97 degrees, when it was 73 degrees within the stadium.




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