Holgorsen expects to get Tune back at quarterback
Clayton Tune is one step closer to returning to the starting lineup.
Tune, the University of Houston’s sophomore quarterback who has been nursing a pulled hamstring, has gone through workouts this week and is expected back when the Cougars play No. 16 SMU on Thursday at TDECU Stadium.
Coach Dana Holgorsen said Tuesday that Tune has participated in practices all week.
“I don’t see a reason to be able to hold him this week,” Holgorsen said during a weekly appearance on SportsTalk 790 AM. “It looks like he’s a go.” Tune suffered the injury late in the fourth quarter of the Sept. 28 win at North Texas, his first start just days after D’Eriq King announced he would redshirt this season.
In the two weeks between games, Tune did not practice and was a game-time decision for the Oct. 12 game against Cincinnati. He was rusty from the layoff, throwing three interceptions, and severely limited in his ability to run.
Holgorsen said Tune was held out of last week’s win at Connecticut to give extra time to heal and not risk aggravating the injury, especially with a short week to prepare for SMU.
“I didn’t want to go through that again, and again, and again …” Holgorsen said. “If you play him every week it’s going to be the same thing every week.” Holgorsen added that if Tune played against UConn “there would not have been any chance” to play Thursday, the start of a grueling closing stretch of the season that also includes Central Florida, Memphis and Navy as the Cougars (3-4) seek three more wins to become bowl eligible.
“We just had to pump the brakes to try and get him as many snaps as we can for the remainder of the year as we possibly can,” Holgorsen said. “Hamstrings are funny. Sometimes it takes a guy six weeks, and sometimes it takes a guy six days.”
UH has gone with several options with Tune out. Logan Holgorsen, a true freshman walk-on, made his first career start at UConn, while wide receiver Bryson Smith and running back Kyle Porter have taken direct snaps out of the wildcat formation.
The injury situation at quarterback — and lack of experience — has created some issues. In the last two games, UH is a combined 19 of 48 for 412 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions. The Cougars had 10 completions against Cincinnati and just nine the next week against UConn. It marked the first time the Cougars had 10 completions or less in a game since 2003, when they had nine against UAB (in a game that featured 59 rushing attempts) and eight against Louisiana-Lafayette.