TCU head coach Gary Patterson said at his weekly press conference that quarterback Casey Pachall could return to action soon, but he does not know when.
“Obviously we’d like to see him do something Saturday,” he said, “but he’s only about on [week] six [of a projected eight week recovery].”
Patterson said that two of the three breaks in Pachall’s left arm are healed, and the senior would visit the doctor later on Tuesday. The coach said he needs more information from the doctors on how Pachall is progressing and what the risks are before he will put the quarterback back on the field.
“They’re going to have to give me a lot better information,” Patterson said. “Because I’m going to make sure he’s taken care of, [and] he’s not in harm’s way. [I need to know] what he can do. What’s the possibilities? How can he re-hurt it?”
The last break to heal is problematic because it runs lengthwise along the bone, instead of across it, the coach said. As a result, the danger is that Pachall could break the bone again by extending his arm to protect himself as he falls.
Pachall broke his left arm against Southeastern Louisiana Sept. 7. Starting in his stead since that game has been Trevone Boykin, who has taken his own fair share of hard hits this season, something Patterson is not pleased about.
“He needs to sometimes quit acting like a running back,” Patterson said of Boykin. “He takes some big-time hits. And he’s getting smarter about it, but the problem with Trevone is he’s such a competitor.”
For that reason, Patterson said Boykin often scrambles or holds onto the ball for too long when he should probably throw it out of bounds, which leaves the quarterback open to getting hit.
If Boykin were to go down with an injury, the next man up would be redshirt freshman Tyler Matthews. Matthews has progressed “leaps and bounds” since last season, Patterson said, and the former four-star recruit needs to be ready to step in at any moment.
“You’re going to have to get to the point where he’s going to have to get serious as we get going forward in these last six ball games,” the coach said, “where you start getting ready and find out what he can do.”
