BYU football: RB Unga injures hamstring, but coach says he will play vs. OU

Provo » Two key players, both starters, suffered injuries as BYU resumed fall camp practices on Monday, although coach Bronco Mendenhall said both running back Harvey Unga and safety Scott Johnson will not miss the Sept. 5 game against Oklahoma due to the setbacks.

Unga, an preseason all-conference running back, suffered a "hamstring [injury] of some degree," Mendenhall said.

The junior's status the next few days of camp is uncertain, but Mendenhall quickly added that Unga "won't be out" against Oklahoma when asked who would play in his place.

Unga, who has been held out of most contact drills all of camp, apparently pulled the hamstring in his left leg on a non-contact

7-on-7 drill. He walked off the field and watched the rest of practice with an ice pack on the back of his upper left leg.

Johnson suffered a concussion after colliding with running back Manase Tonga in an 11-on-11 scrimmage situation, although the Cougars were wearing just helmets, shoulder pads and shorts.

"Scott was actually trying to clock Manase, but he lost the battle," Mendenhall said. "....With experienced players, their discretion ought to be used at a higher level than that."

Johnson, a senior, not must clear several prescribed safety steps required of all players who suffer head injuries before he can return.

Mendenhall said even if Johnson cannot practice again until the Thursday before Oklahoma

game, "we would still play him because he is so assignment sound and so critical for our defense."

The coach said the injury to Unga in a rather benign drill illustrates that no matter what precautions coaches can take, injuries can still happen.

"We have been very fresh [entering the past few seasons], but not so much in my first year," he said. "But there's not much else I can do, especially if I think the volume [of contact] is on. And I think it is on."

Three other players, safety Andrew Rich (tight groin), defensive end Vic So'oto (sprained ankle) and running back Bryan Kariya (sprained ankle) did not practice Monday morning.

Running back J.J. DiLuigi (shoulder contusion), linebacker Terrance Hooks (hamstring), cornerback Robbie Buckner (hamstring) and cornerback Brandon Bradley (groin strain) dressed for practice but did not participate in the contact portions.

"Good thing there is still two weeks [before] we play," Mendenhall said. "Unfortunately, we still need to practice. So we can't just come out and look at each other for the next two weeks. We have to get some work done. Unfortunately, guys are going down -- within a pretty limited format. So, I don't think it can be scaled back much more than it is. We just have to hope that they get back quickly."