After being sidelined for the BYU game, Texas quarterback David Ash‘s future remains uncertain. On Monday Texas head coach Charlie Strong announced during the Big 12 coaches conference call Ash will be out indefinitely with concussion symptoms lingering. Tyrone Swoopes will be used as the starting quarterback for the Longhorns for the time being.
This news is obviously concerning after Ash missed the majority of the 2013 season with concussion problems. Given the attention and care for head trauma around football today, and the more widespread knowledge of the damage that can be done on a more long-term basis, playing it safe with a player who has had concussion issues in the past is an easy choice to make for Texas.
Texas is coming off another brutal loss to BYU -- the second BYU beatdown in as many years -- and the path looks troublesome in the coming weeks for Texas. Texas will play against Pac-12 contender UCLA (the Bruins have escaped disaster two weeks in a row) in Arlington, Texas this weekend before opening Big 12 play. Baylor and Oklahoma make up two of the first three Big 12 games for the Longhorns. While protecting Ash is never to be placed below the fate of the team, the Longhorns are starting to look at quite the uphill battle in order to become bowl eligible this season.
Against BYU, Swoopes completed 20 of his 31 pass attempts for 176 yards and a touchdown.
