But in those five yards, Brigham Young football coach Bronco Mendenhall sees the potential for more injuries and more roster attrition.

One of the major rule changes in college football this season is having teams kick off from the 30-yard line instead of the 35 like is done in the NFL. The expected byproduct is fewer touchbacks, more returns and more high-impact collisions on coverage.

"I am against it," Mendenhall said. "I don't think the rule needed to be changed. I didn't see any value in changing it other than maybe the entertainment value of the media, TV, et cetera, because it's an explosive play. But it's an explosive play at the expense of college football players who already have had their scholarships reduced to 85 and have an extra game added, which is 12. So it doesn't seem like it was in their best interest."

Last season, the NCAA Football Rules Committee attempted to speed up the game by starting the clock as soon as the ball was kicked and continuing to run the clock after first downs. But after receiving numerous complaints from coaches, the committee reverted to the 2005 rules of starting the clock on kickoffs once the ball is touched by the receiving team and stopping the clock after first downs.

Still wanting to shorten the length of games, the committee felt like the new kickoff rule could reduce them by at least one minute.

"I think it is going to change the game. I think that field position is tied to scoring and when you start with the ball at least five yards further, I think it will be reflective in scoring," Mendenhall said. "Last year, 2.9 points a game were all that was taken off based on the timing rules. Now, the timing rules have gone back, and with better field position, I think there would be a substantial impact on the game than what there was last year."

Despite the potential risk of injury, Mendenhall still plans to use his starters to return kicks, and he envisions special teams taking on even greater importance in pregame planning.

"I don't think there will be many kickers who put the ball into the end zone consistently, and the strategy of where you put the ball is going to be critical," Mendenhall said.

Bumps and bruises

Backup quarterback Brenden Gaskins fractured the middle finger of his throwing hand Monday when he hit a defender's helmet. He did not practice Tuesday, and his return date is undetermined.

Senior cornerback Ben Criddle sat out the final 30 minutes of practice Tuesday with his left ankle wrapped in ice.

Senior safety Dustin Gabriel is suffering from stingers and injuries to both his feet. Mendenhall said Gabriel's situation is a pain-tolerance issue, and possibly could require injections.

Gaskins' absence paved the way for BYU freshmen Jason Munns and James Lark to take repetitions with the second-team offense.

"It was promising to just get out there and get the experience," the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Munns said. "With as many quarterbacks as we have, reps are hard to come by, and there is no better teacher than experience. But at the same time, it was very humbling. I knew I had a lot of work to do, but this just put the nail in the coffin on it."

Raw strength

Popeye ate a can of spinach to gain his strength, but Munns prefers another vegetable.

"Eat a piece of raw potato with salt on it," suggested Munns, a Kennewick, Wash., native. "My dad farms, and if you get a potato, rinse it off, put some salt on it and eat it that way, it's unbelievable."

Short hits

The players wore shoulder pads for the first time Tuesday, and will don full pads Thursday in accordance with the NCAA five-day acclimatization period. Two-a-days begin Friday. . . . Freshman receiver Jordan Smith (Spanish Fork) received his clearance Tuesday afternoon, and is scheduled to practice today. Terrance Hooks is the only remaining player who has not reported to camp.

rpotkey@sltrib.com