Update on Rivers

About how Rivers didn't practice again due to his lower-back tightness but might play vs. Idaho, JJ said:
"He still has a chance. It'll be a game-day decision." (HA)

Note: I hope that the decision is to hold Rivers out! JJ admitted that Rivers should not have played in the last game because he hadn't been healthy enough to practice, and Rivers will not be able to get better if he keep playing and aggravating his injury!


Praising Rivers, Colt said:
"Jason is a great outside target. You throw a ball to a guy like Jason because he is what he is. He's a 6-foot-2, 200-plus receiver who can pick up a lot of yards for you and has unbelievable speed and he's physical. That's why we give him the ball when he's in there. He does a lot of good things with it." (HA)


About how Rivers' best play is the inside slant, especially when RGM and Bess get double teamed, Colt said:
"It leaves them one on one with Jason, and that's a matchup we usually always win. Jason is the guy who will run you over and then go to the house." (HA)


Praising Lane, who I hope will start this game, WR coach Ron Lee said:
"Malcolm had his best week of practice. Now he has to go into the game and play. He's learning how to practice and how to play." (HA)


About how he hasn't been timed in the 40 lately, Lane said:
"People know I'm fast, but it doesn't matter. I don't care about that stuff. I care about running hard every play and making the right reads on the football field. Speed is always an advantage, but you have to be smart, too. It showed last year (as a true freshman). I was fast, but I didn't know what I was doing, and it didn't get me anywhere. You can have speed, but if you don't know what you're doing, it doesn't mean anything." (HA)


About how he ran a lot of sprints after practice this week to build up his stamina to be able to play a whole game, Lane said:
"I'm not used to playing a full game. I think the coaches want me to improve endurance-wise. I'm pushing myself when I get tired. My wind is building up." (HA)


About how he has to sprint every play, even when the play isn't for him, Lane said:
"Sometimes you're supposed to run off your man. A lot of times defensive backs pick up that stuff. You run your route soft, and they know it's a running play, and they go straight inside. You've got to run hard every time." (HA)


About how Lane has to forget his mistakes, Colt said:
"The thing that everyone learning the position struggles with is thinking too much. As long as he keeps getting more reps and more success, he'll understand the offense more and he'll have more confidence." (HA)


About the "jammed" right thumb injury he suffered yesterday, Greg Salas said:
"It's a little swollen," he said, "but I'll be all right. I'm going to play." (HA)