09-18-2002, 02:48 PM
Nevada running back Chance Kretschmer, who led the NCAA in rushing last year but suffered a season-ending knee injury Saturday, has surgery scheduled for Monday and should return for his last two years of eligibility, his coach said.
Kretschmer was a redshirt freshman last year and is not eligible for a medical redshirt this year from the NCAA, Nevada Coach Chris Tormey said.
"The only way you get a medical hardship is if you lose two seasons of eligibility due to injury,'' Tormey said. "This will only be the first year he has missed due to injury.''
The sophomore tore his anterior cruciate ligament on his first carry of the game against Brigham Young when he was hit late out of bounds by two BYU defenders. The Cougars were called for a 15-yard personal foul on the play.
Nevada won 31-28. BYU was penalized 13 times for 140 yards in the game and has averaged more than 12 penalties for 108 yards in three games this season.
"There's no reason for it,'' Kretschmer told the Reno Gazette-Journal earlier this week. "They get a 15-yard penalty and I got hurt and put out for the season. But we'll just get on with it and get it rehabbed and come back.''
The play was just one part of what Nevada players and coaches said was a fairly dirty game.
"I'll just say this, I can only coach my team, but Ill tell you what, that shot on Chance Kretschmer was 3 yards out of bounds and was uncalled for,'' Tormey told the newspaper.
"Two players hit him as he was slowing up and getting ready to come back to the huddle and they just blind-sided him. Now he is done for the year and I don't think there is any place for that in college football, whether it was intentional or not. I think it definitely could have been avoided.''
BYU coach Gary Crowton responded to the allegations of a cheap shot on the Mountain West coaches teleconference call Tuesday.
"He was running along the boundary,'' Crowton said. "As he stepped out of bounds, he took one step and our linebacker hit him. We hit him high. I thought it was a personal foul (but) I didn't feel like it was a real vengeful type thing.''
Kretschmer was a redshirt freshman last year and is not eligible for a medical redshirt this year from the NCAA, Nevada Coach Chris Tormey said.
"The only way you get a medical hardship is if you lose two seasons of eligibility due to injury,'' Tormey said. "This will only be the first year he has missed due to injury.''
The sophomore tore his anterior cruciate ligament on his first carry of the game against Brigham Young when he was hit late out of bounds by two BYU defenders. The Cougars were called for a 15-yard personal foul on the play.
Nevada won 31-28. BYU was penalized 13 times for 140 yards in the game and has averaged more than 12 penalties for 108 yards in three games this season.
"There's no reason for it,'' Kretschmer told the Reno Gazette-Journal earlier this week. "They get a 15-yard penalty and I got hurt and put out for the season. But we'll just get on with it and get it rehabbed and come back.''
The play was just one part of what Nevada players and coaches said was a fairly dirty game.
"I'll just say this, I can only coach my team, but Ill tell you what, that shot on Chance Kretschmer was 3 yards out of bounds and was uncalled for,'' Tormey told the newspaper.
"Two players hit him as he was slowing up and getting ready to come back to the huddle and they just blind-sided him. Now he is done for the year and I don't think there is any place for that in college football, whether it was intentional or not. I think it definitely could have been avoided.''
BYU coach Gary Crowton responded to the allegations of a cheap shot on the Mountain West coaches teleconference call Tuesday.
"He was running along the boundary,'' Crowton said. "As he stepped out of bounds, he took one step and our linebacker hit him. We hit him high. I thought it was a personal foul (but) I didn't feel like it was a real vengeful type thing.''