Bryson Beirne injures knee, Wildcat quarterback questions build

So you have Plan A, Plan AA, and Plans B, C and D. If Plan A fails, you could do Plan AA, but then you won't have that available for next year, when you'll have Plan C and Plan D. So, naturally, go with Plan B. But if you lose Plan A and Plan B, well, do you use Plan AA, or go straight to Plan D because Plan C won't be available 'til next year?

That's really confusing. Apply it to Arizona football and make coach Mike Stoops figure it out. 

Plan A equals Nick Foles. Plan AA equals Matt Scott. Plan B is Bryson Beirne, Plan C Tom Savage and Plan D Daxx Garman. It's the quarterback controversy you love to have as a head coach but never actually want to be in the position to make any big decision about.

After hurting his knee in Saturday's scrimmage, Arizona Daily Star reporter Ryan Finley writes that Arizona back-up quarterback Bryson Beirne will undergo an MRI today to look into the full extent of the injury. On Monday, Finley asked about the severity of Beirne's injury.

Sporting a heavy brace on his knee, Beirne watched this morning's practice from the sidelines.

Coach Mike Stoops said doctors are "not sure" of the severity of the injury, but will have a better idea after the MRI is performed.

 

Covering the scrimmage at Ft. Huachuca, Finley said that Beirne was running the No. 2 offense behind starter Nick Foles and after leaving the field after twisting his knee, Beirne was replaced by Rutgers transfer Tom Savage. That move might be a hint at how the quarterback situation is really looking, though nothing in this crazy mess is for sure.

Matt Scott has planned to redshirt this season to earn a starting gig after Foles' departure, but because Savage can't play this season because of the NCAA transfer rules, Foles has only true freshman Daxx Garman behind him on the depth chart should Beirne be injured for a long period of time.

That, of course, unless Scott is edged into playing should the worse-case scenario of Foles getting hurt occur.

Finley wrote last week of how uncertain and iffy Scott's redshirt plans really are -- should Foles get hurt, he's clearly the best option for winning, but at which point do coaches decide to rip off the redshirt tag and enter Scott into his senior year? Do they evaluate how long Foles will be out? Likely. But if it's for, say, a five-week span midway through the season, is that worth using next year's starting quarterback to win in the now?

It all depends on the extent of Beirne's injury and any injury that hits Foles. Bad luck would be involved, but it's not like the Wildcats haven't seen bad luck before. 

To win now or to preserve a bright future? That's the question the coaching staff must ask itself. With such a complex quarterback depth chart, there are no easy answers.