Washington State players and coaches complimented young quarterback Connor Halliday after Saturday’s game on his courageous performance, but no one realized the full extent of Halliday’s courage until Sunday.
Halliday, who played the entire game in his first college start and took several vicious hits, suffered a lacerated liver. He will miss Saturday’s season finale against Washington at Seattle’s CenturyLink Field.
WSU coach Paul Wulff said he believes Halliday’s injury took place when Utah linebacker Chaz Walker blasted Halliday and was flagged for roughing the passer midway through the second quarter.
Halliday was taken to Pullman Regional Hospital after the game. He remained in the intensive-care unit Sunday night, Wulff said.
“He’ll be there another day or two,” Wulff said.
Halliday, a redshirt freshman from Spokane, passed for 290 yards (despite several dropped balls), two touchdowns and four interceptions. Halliday led the Cougars on a last-minute scoring drive in the fourth quarter to force overtime, but Utah won, 30-27.
“He had an unbelievably courageous outing,” Wulff said.
Wulff said senior Marshall Lobbestael, who has started at quarterback most of the season, goes back under center on Saturday. David Gilbertson, the son of former Washington coach Keith Gilbertson, is the backup quarterback.
Jeff Tuel, WSU’s projected starting quarterback, has missed most of the season with collar bone injuries. He will not play against Washington, Wulff said.
Starting wide receiver Isiah Barton also will miss Saturday’s game after being injured in the Utah game. Wulff said Barton, who ranks second on the Cougars with 638 receiving yards, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
Wulff said he is hopeful starting offensive tackles Dan Spitz (who missed the Utah game) and David Gonzales can recover from ankle injuries in time to play. Defensive end Adam Coerper, who started due to Lenard Williams’ knee injury, is listed as questionable by Wulff after suffering his own knee injury Saturday.
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