It was a terrible, horrible, no good very bad day for Texas on Saturday in Provo, Utah. The defense was shredded, resulting in the defensive coordinator getting the boot, the Longhorns lost to drop to 1-1 and two key offensive players were forced to leave the storm-delayed game for various injuries. Quarterback David Ash (head) and wide receiver Daje Johnson (ankle) each are being evaluated and their status for Saturday’s game against Ole Miss in Austin remains unknown.
Kirk Bohls of The Austin American-Statesman reports Ash was being treated for a potentially mild concussion. Per NCAA rules regarding head injuries and concussions, if Ash is able to pass for just a mild concussion he could be available to play for the Longhorns this weekend. Head injuries have never been more of a focus in football than they are today, but players are able to return to the field if they can pass mandated tests. Texas has not released much more information regarding Ash but his status will be evaluated as the week goes by.
If Ash is unavailable for the Longhorns, Texas will put the offense in the hands of Case McCoy, younger brother of former Longhorn quarterback Colt McCoy. The senior has failed to match the career of his older brother and is the second quarterback on the depth chart for Texas.
Johnson was the top wide receiver on the depth chart against BYU but used more as a power running back early in the game. Though a dynamic player when healthy, this seemed like an odd position to use the 5'10", 180-pound offensive player. Whether his size contributed to his injury or not is impossible to determine. There is no word on any further status for Johnson, although it has been a pretty busy day for Texas news. Surely there will be more on Johnson’s status and potential timeline early this week.