Spaulding Report: Taysom Hill is a 26-Year-Old Man

Josh Rosen was still playing Boys’ 12 Singles tennis when BYU quarterback Taysom Hill graduated from high school. Josh Rosen, 19, can vote in his first election, but is two-years shy of legal drinking age; Taysom Hill, 26, can rent a car in any state. Josh Rosen has, at times, been touted as the next Andrew Luck; if Taysom Hill had gone to Stanford right out of high school, where he was originally committed, he would’ve competed with Andrew Luck for the starting job.

Josh Rosen has a mustache and scooter. Taysom Hill has a wife.

But if it seems like Taysom Hill has been around forever, it also seems like he’s been getting hurt forever. And he has. In 2012, in his second game as a starter, Hill injured his knee and was lost for the season. In 2014, after handing Texas a 41-7 defeat, garnering Heisman talk, and forcing pundits to ask if BYU could make the College Football Playoff, Hill broke his leg against Utah State. Last season, he didn’t even make it an entire game before he suffered a Lisfranc fracture.

The fifth-year senior has only gotten through one entire season of college football injury-free.

"He’s resilient, he’s competitive, he’s tough," Jim Mora said flatly on Monday when asked about Hill. "He’s had to overcome a lot of adversity, a lot of injuries, and he just keeps showing up and competing like crazy."

In that one full season he did play, 2013, Hill passed for almost 3,000 yards, and rushed for about 1,400, including a 259-yard ground effort against Texas. Last week against Utah, he broke off for a 39-yard touchdown run.

"If you watch the Utah game, you saw some great runs. You saw just what you’d expect of him, that toughness and that grit that he’s displayed his whole career," said Mora.

Though he’s been an uneven passer at times, the former Idaho high school track star can log some serious yardage on the ground, averaging 5.2 yards when he tucks the ball in two games so far this season.

Do you think the Bruins have anything to worry about?

The 7th Member of the Pac-12 South?

While the Bruins don’t start conference play until Week 4, BYU is already 1-1 against the Pac-12 South. The Cougars beat Arizona 18-16 in Glendale, AZ on Labor Day weekend, then lost by a point 20-19 to Utah, after a failed 2-point conversion attempt in the Holy War.

"They’re a very good team," defensive lineman Eli Ankou said.

Asked if seeing them play on par with familiar foes would help the Bruins get an idea of what to expect from the Cougars, the red-shirt sophomore continued, "It does help, a lot. It kind of gives a clear image of what type of players they are, and I think that BYU is a team that should be respected."

Addressing the Drops

"Coach Yarbs called it being a nerd," WR Eldridge Massington began, "We have to watch the ball all the way. Sometimes we try to run before we catch the ball. So, it’s just a concentration thing."

Massington said on Monday afternoon that the receivers would have to just take more reps catching the ball, watch the ball into their hands, and focus on fundamentals.

"If you do it in practice, it’ll become a habit in the game."

Nothing wrong with being a nerd, WRs.

And Finally, Injury Updates

Mora said that Eddie Vanderdoes would "go through the week, and hopefully be available on Saturday." He had more or less the same line for all the others who were out against UNLV.

That list includes: Deon Hollins (concussion); Takkarist McKinley (groin); Cameron Griffin (concussion); Cameron Judge (shoulder); Jaleel Wadood (just bumps and bruises, you know); Scott Quessenberry (got stepped on, cramped up); Nate Starks (not hurt, but Mora gave the same line).

"He’ll go through the week, and hopefully he’ll be available Saturday."

Check out more from Jim Mora, Eli Ankou, Conor McDermott, Eldridge Massington, and Tahaan Goodman below.

All videos are courtesy of Edward Lewis of Bruin Sports Report. Thanks, Ed!

HC Jim Mora:

DL Eli Ankou:

OL Conor McDermott:

WR Eldridge Massington:

DB Tahaan Goodman:

GO BRUINS.