PROVO - Rain clouds hung over the opening practice of BYU's fall football camp Saturday afternoon, making the day more pleasant than usual for coaches and observers until they considered another type of cloud threatening to dampen the most anticipated season in years: All-conference receiver Austin Collie standing on the sidelines, wearing tennis shoes, holding his helmet in one hand and tossing a football with the other.

As reported in Saturday's Salt Lake Tribune, Collie was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right leg and will miss a significant amount of fall camp. He hopes to be ready for the season opener Aug. 28 against Northern Iowa. Collie, BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall and trainer Kevin Morris all said the injury was not serious, but nobody would say how long Collie will be out.

"It's really not that serious. Just a minor setback," the junior said. "It's nothing bad. . . . We just want to make sure it doesn't linger throughout the year."

An MRI after a routine physical Friday revealed the stress fracture on Collie's tibia, just below the knee cap, Morris said Saturday.

Mendenhall said Collie will probably need two weeks of rest, and expects him back in plenty of time for the opener. He said it will give coaches time to look at players such as Luke Ashworth and Spencer Hafoka in fall camp.

"It might be a blessing," Mendenhall said.

Morris said surgery is not required to repair the damage, which is the result of gradual wear and tear.

"As the pain subsides, he will increase his activity. If the pain stays low, we will increase the activity, so it is basically a day-to-day, week-to-week type thing," Morris said.

Collie said the leg has been nagging him for 2 1/2 weeks, but that he could play a half or three-quarters of a game if he had to this week.

Briefly

Projected starting linebacker Matt Bauman, who suffered a severe bone contusion on his foot after crashing on his scooter a few weeks ago while wearing flip-flops, will probably return to practice at the end of next week, Mendenhall said. . . . Running back Fui Vakapuna tweaked a hamstring while working out for pro scouts a few months ago and was limited in his reps on Saturday. . . . Per BYU tradition, several newcomers had shaved heads for Saturday's practice. Others had designs shaved into their heads. "The players were smiling that had them. They were showing them off in the team meeting room, so it has been a nice release, I think, for our players," Mendenhall said. . . . The coach singled out the play and the fitness level of quarterback Brenden Gaskins, who is in a battle with Kurt McEuen to be Max Hall's backup.

drew@sltrib.com