This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Provo • BYU receiver O'Neill Chambers remembers when he started thinking about the Cougars' trip to Florida State, which takes place Saturday when BYU meets FSU at Doak Campbell Stadium.
"When I committed, I guess," he said.
Chambers grew up in Harmony, Fla., which is a three-hour drive from Tallahassee.
He knows because his mother has chartered a bus for about 70 friends and family members to go to the game.
"I will just go out there and play like a normal game," Chambers said. "Have fun. It is going to be fun to play out there in front of all my friends and family that go to Florida State and [Florida] and stuff. They are all going to go down to the game, so it will be real fun."
Chambers, a junior, said BYU representatives told him about the upcoming series against FSU when the school recruited him, but said that's not the reason he chose the Cougars.
He went to a few FSU camps growing up, but says "I didn't really like Florida State, so there wasn't that much interest at all."
He caught five passes for 34 yards last year in the 54-28 loss to the Seminoles in Provo.
"We didn't have the energy that we had when we played Oklahoma," he said. "Some guys were thinking big name, [FSU coach] Bobby Bowden, but to me it was just another game, another coach."
Freshman starter?
Coach Bronco Mendenhall said Tuesday junior Riley Nelson will start for the third straight game Saturday against FSU. Asked if a situation could arise where freshman Jake Heaps would start in a game, Mendenhall said, "Maybe. I mean, we have only played two games. He's a very talented player, so anything is possible right now with the quarterbacks."
The only true freshman to start at quarterback for BYU (straight out of high school) was Drew Miller of Lakes High in Washington. Miller started the eighth game of the 1997 season, a 14-3 loss at UTEP. He completed 17 of 32 passes for 226 yards , but was intercepted three times.
Running Riley
Meanwhile, Nelson has moved into fourth place on the BYU career rushing yardage list for a quarterback, with 262 yards. He trails Virgil Carter (1,225), Steve Young (1,084) and Brandon Doman (632).
Mendenhall said Monday that Nelson probably can't sustain the "wear and tear" of running as much as he has so far for a complete season.
"There is going to have to be a complement of throwing the ball at a higher level within plays that complement the running plays for him to have the success he needs to, and for the point production to reach the level it needs to. While the running is effective and helps us maintain ball control and get first downs, it doesn't lead to points without throwing as well, so you have to have some balance," Mendenhall said.
Briefly
BYU is 0-4 in football games in the state of Florida, and is 1-4 against teams from Florida. … Linebacker Brandon Ogletree remains day-to-day with an MCL sprain.