Injury bug bites again as Huskers lose starters Billy Kemp, Ethan Piper
The injury bug is turning into an injury anaconda for Nebraska football, slowly crushing what seems like every one of the Huskers' position groups.
A perfect microcosm, unfortunately, of the team's injury woes came on Saturday during Nebraska’s first possession of the second quarter when receiver Billy Kemp and left guard Ethan Piper both went down with leg injuries on the same play. The two starters were down for a few minutes as they laid on the ground in pain and were eventually helped off the field by trainers and/or teammates, unable to put any weight on their legs.
Both starters appeared to have suffered serious injuries. Kemp and Piper each had their parents come down to the sideline to speak with them and the doctors. Kemp exited the medical tent with tears in his eyes and, per Big Ten Network sideline reporter Brooke Fletcher, the training staff was putting a brace on his left leg shortly after being examined. Piper, meanwhile, was carted off the field into the locker room minutes later.
Speculation can be dangerous, but with all of the horrible injury luck the Huskers have had this year – plus those on-field reports and observations – it’s hard to not think that both players may be out for the year or at least some significant time.
"Billy sounded like maybe it was an MCL. Obviously they haven't done the whole stuff," Matt Rhule said after the game. "They let him stay on the sidelines, which is usually a good sign that will get him back at some point. Piper's seemed like maybe it was a little bit worse. So I'm gonna wait and see what that is. He seemed like he was in pain. And I hate it for him. He's the heart soul of our team."
They are the two latest starters to leave a game due to injury, and they add to the team’s injury history this season as at least one starter has gone down in every game this year:
>> Minnesota: WR Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda (torn ACL)
>> Colorado: QB Jeff Sims (high-ankle sprain)
>> Northern Illinois: RB Gabe Ervin Jr. (dislocated hip), plus No. 2 RB Rahmir Johnson (dislocated shoulder) and rotational freshman DB Dwight Bootle (shoulder)
>> Louisiana Tech: LB Luke Reimer (unknown injury kept him out of the entire second half, then suffered a MRSA infection in his arm that kept him out for two games)
>> Michigan: SAF DeShon Singleton (out for “an extended period of time” with a knee injury, according to Rhule)
>> Illinois: WR Marcus Washington (torn ACL)
>> Northwestern: WR Billy Kemp and OL Ethan Piper
Those are on top of preseason season-ending injuries to freshman LB/DE Maverick Noonan and DL Brodie Tagaloa.
The Huskers are in danger of being without the No. 1-4 receivers on their projected depth chart going into the season if Kemp goes down for a significant period of time: Not necessarily in order, Zavier Betts (left program), Washington, Garcia-Castaneda and Kemp were the projected top four in the rotation in early August.
Justin Evans-Jenkins filled in for the injured Piper the rest of the game. Center Ben Scott and defensive back Tommi Hill also got banged up during the game, but it didn't sound like either player was significantly hurt.
Hill left the game and didn't return with an ankle injury. He got hurt right before halftime and tried to test it for the second half, but he couldn't go.
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