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The Cougars will never get back to full strength this season — quarterback Taysom Hill (broken leg) and cornerback Jordan Johnson (broken arm) have been lost for the year — but they should get a couple more guys back this week from injuries that have kept them out of action recently.

BYU said Wednesday that offensive lineman Brayden Kearsley (ankle), kick returner Adam Hine (foot) and receiver Devon Blackmon (ankle) are practicing this week and should play against Middle Tennessee on Saturday (1:30 p.m. MDT, CBS Sports Network).

Linebacker Alani Fua, who played about five plays against Boise State, is "not in any better state than he was last week" and is "kinda questionable," according to SID Brett Pyne.

Running back Alge Brown (ankle) is "doubtul to out" for the game. "He is probably the guy who is furthest away from playing," Pyne said.

Offensive line coach Garett Tujague said it will be nice to have Kearsley back.

"Yeah, he's coming back. He practiced yesterday and today really good, and he had some fresh legs. So it will be nice to have fresh legs out there. He's doing well," Tujague said.

Wednesday was the offensive players and coaches turn to talk to media members, and offensive coordinator Robert Anae, Tujague, quarterback Christian Stewart, running back Jamaal Williams and running back Nate Carter were made available. There might have been a few others that I missed.

Williams said he was only 85 percent healthy against BSU (coaches held him out until the second quarter) and is still trying to get back to 100 percent after spraining both ankles against Utah State on Oct. 3.

Then he dropped a little bravado that will likely make its way north to the Gem State.

"If I was close to 100, I would have had 150 [rushing yards]," Williams said. "I'd say 85 [percent] for right now. … My ankles are small and old. And I'm only 19."

Williams is now up to 466 rushing yards, highest on the team, after he 70 on 16 carries vs. BSU. He passed Taysom Hill, who had 463 before the leg fracture.

After gaining more than 600 yards on Nevada, the Cougars picked up just 322 against a Boise defense that seemed to know the plays better than the Cougars did themselves. It was quite a scouting job by the Broncos.

Improving and getting back to the Nevada-type offense was pretty much the theme of Anae's message to the media Wednesday.

"Well, after last week, our task is to get back on track and find the rhythm and find execution, and find a way to improve ourselves — blocking, securing the football, and all those other things we need to do," Anae said. "Obviously the efficiency, we are looking to improve and get better, and that is what our focus has been this week."

Anae said Williams has had a good week of practice and that, "we look forward to his continual and added volume that we hope to get this week."

The Cougars had three three-and-outs to start the game, leaving their defense on the field for long stretches to try to stop the explosive Broncos. I asked Anae if he might slow it down a little this week.

"Well, there are a couple of things as a team that we are focusing on. Right now, it is to try to be as efficient as we can. We are not efficient, by any stretch. I look at this as a teamwide thing, that we all got to do our part to pull in the same direction," he said.

Getting off to better starts will also be important, Anae said, for an offense whose confidence ebbs and flows.

"Yeah, we script plays, like everybody," Anae said. "The plays that hit the script, we believe guys have earned that, plays have earned that. So, yeah, they earn playing time and the plays that work usually those guys have demonstrated an ability to do that task well.

Like I said, I was pleased with the progress we were making. We took a step back Friday night, but we look forward to getting on the right track."