BYU football: Bronco, players weigh in on Cougars' QB quandary

"If I was Jake," Holt said, "this would definitely motivate me to try to better my game and propel myself to a different level."

Could Heaps benefit from watching from the sidelines rather than playing?

"One of the main reasons a year ago that we started Riley, if not the main reason, was Riley's poise, experience and leadership," Mendenhall said. "Jake was a true freshman. To be BYU's quarterback as a true freshman is a lot. To live in this community as BYU's quarterback is a lot. Certainly, being able to step back or get a breather, or regroup, that might have an effect. But watching someone play the position and play it well is always helpful. Whether we choose to do that now with Jake or not, we'll see."

Brown rejected the notion that the Cougars played harder for Nelson than they did for Heaps on Friday.

"We scored 13 in the first half and 14 in the second half," he said. "I think there was an urgency, because we were down. It was the fourth quarter and you'd better play your butt off and you'd better fight to the end because you're going to lose the game. We're going to play hard for whoever's in there."

Both players are respected in the locker room, said safety Travis Uale.

"Jake is respected just as much as Riley. They're both great competitors and they're both great quarterbacks, though they have different styles," he said. "I don't think one is liked more than the other. We all treat each other as teammates and we treat each other as brothers."

Asked which quarterback gives BYU the best chance to win, Uale replied, "Whoever the coaches pick. We trust our coaches that they're going to make the right decision to put us in the right situations to win a football game. The only quarterback I'm worried about is the San Jose State quarterback."

email: jeffc@desnews.com

San Jose State (2-3) at BYU (3-2)

Saturday, 8:15 p.m. MT

LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo

TV: ESPNU

Radio: 1160 AM, 102.7 FM