UNLV Rebels quarterback Armani Rogers (1) wears a bandage on the injury sustained versus the Utah State Aggies during their game at Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017.
Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017 | 3:34 p.m.
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UNLV quarterback Armani Rogers has not practiced since suffering a concussion in the Rebels’ 52-28 loss to Utah State, but he hasn’t been ruled out for Saturday’s game at Fresno State.
Rogers was the victim of a helmet-to-helmet hit late in the second quarter against Utah State and had to be helped off the field. He was put into concussion protocol, and head coach Tony Sanchez said that he has been improving every day since.
In his regular Tuesday press conference, Sanchez said he hoped to have a better idea of Rogers’ status by Thursday.
“We’ll probably know by the end of Thursday, Thursday evening,” Sanchez said. “We have a Friday practice and we get a lot of work done on Fridays, so we’ll see. We’ve just got to let the doctors do what they do. We’re in no rush on our end. We’ve got two great guys that are capable of playing quarterback.”
If Rogers is unable to play, the Rebels would turn to the reserve duo of seniors Kurt Palandech and Johnny Stanton. Palandech took over for Rogers on Saturday and went 8-of-18 for 42 yards and two interceptions, while a spate of injuries on the defensive side of the ball forced Stanton into action at linebacker against Utah State.
UNLV is currently listing Rogers, Palandech and Stanton as co-starters for Saturday’s game.
Rogers has completed 52.9 percent of his passes for 1063 yards, with five touchdowns and four interceptions, and he’s made numerous big plays with his legs, rushing for 535 yards and six touchdowns on the season.
Even if doctors clear Rogers in time for Fresno State, Sanchez wants him to have some time to get re-acclimated before putting him back on the field in a game situation.
“From a coach’s perspective, once he’s been cleared you want him to play confident,” Sanchez said. “Any player you put on the field, it’s a physical game, you want to make sure they’re comfortable out there and they’re not worried about it at all. If they are, they increase the risk of something bad.”
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
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