BYU football: Ashworth turning heads

PROVO — As Austin Collie sits out of practices with a stress fracture in his leg, sophomore Luke Ashworth is making his mark during BYU's fall camp.

Quarterback Max Hall connected with Ashworth for a 20-yard touchdown strike Wednesday. Coach Bronco Mendenhall said Ashworth, who returned from a mission during the off-season, is the Cougars' No. 3 receiver behind Collie and Michael Reed.

"The last three days, Luke has made a strong push in terms of confidence and knowledge of assignment," Mendenhall said. "Then, add finishing the plays with it. From what I've seen, after Austin Collie and Michael Reed, right now it's probably Luke Ashworth as of today."

While Hall is pleased by Ashworth's play, he still misses not having Collie to throw to.

"It hurts not having Austin there, but it's good for the young guys to get reps. Austin's our go-to guy," Hall said. "He's our best player. He's the guy that we're going to want to get the ball as much as we can. But it's nice to have those guys in there in case he has to come out for a couple of plays. It's nice to get them reps and for them to know what's going on."

The Cougars are counting on Collie to be ready to go for the season- opener Aug. 30 against Northern Iowa.

The BYU offense was in control Wednesday in "blue zone" situations.

"We already know our effectiveness in stopping blue zone plays and scoring on blue zone plays is a huge part of our success," Mendenhall said. "Right now, our offense is clearly ahead in the blue zone production."

PENDLETON'S STATUS: A day after a heated exchange between safety Jordan Pendleton and defensive coordinator Jaime Hill, Pendleton did not practice with the team Wednesday morning.

Pendleton was excused because he was throwing up and battling a case of diarrhea. On Tuesday, after a spirited practice, Hill yelled at Pendleton and told him not to do media interviews. Pendleton reportedly called Hill a disparaging name.

Mendenhall met with Hill and Pendleton and decided not to take any disciplinary action.