Freshman Williams seizes opportunity

For Brigham Young freshman running back Jamaal Williams, timing is everything.

The 17-year-old from Fontana, Calif., joined a crowded backfield after signing with the Cougars. But three months after his high school graduation, junior Josh Quezada transferred from BYU to Fresno State and an injury sidelined redshirt freshman Adam Hine. Williams found himself battling senior David Foote for the backup job to junior Michael Alisa.

Playing time was limited early on. Williams carried the ball only 18 times in the first four games, rushing for 83 yards and a touchdown. Along the way, however, he impressed coach Bronco Mendenhall enough to be promoted to second string, ahead of Foote.

Williams' big moment came in the fifth game against Hawaii when Alisa broke his right arm in the first quarter. Williams took over and rushed 15 times for 155 yards and two touchdowns.

He followed up with 207 yards on 57 carries and five rushing touchdowns against then-No. 10 Oregon State, then-No. 5 Notre Dame and Georgia Tech. He also caught a touchdown pass against the Yellow Jackets. Even more impressive: He has zero turnovers.

"I'm just grateful to get the ball," Williams said. "I'm happy to do what I have to do."

Williams carried a season-high 28 times at Georgia Tech, and his eight rushing touchdowns rank third among Football Bowl Subdivision freshmen. He is running like an upperclassman, but remains a kid at heart.

"He has a fantastic sense of humor," Mendenhall said. "He plays with my kids on the field before every game, home or away. They play tag and catch and call each other nicknames. It's fun to see."

Williams is closer in age to Mendenhall's kids than he is with some of his teammates. The freshman was 11 when senior Riley Nelson took his first snap as a collegiate quarterback in 2006.

"Jamaal has a very soft heart," Mendenhall said. "He is still a kid, and that's what is fun."

■ BYE WEEK - BYU is off this weekend, and Nelson couldn't be happier. "It's good. We are banged up. We need it to get ready and get healthy," he said. "Fall camp and nine straight games kind of wears your body down."

Nelson is coming off his best all-around performance of the season. He threw for 204 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score in the Cougars' 41-17 victory at Georgia Tech.

■ CLOSING IN - BYU (5-4) needs to win one of its remaining games against Idaho (Nov. 10), San Jose State (Nov. 17) or New Mexico State (Nov. 24) to qualify for the program's eighth consecutive bowl game. If eligible, the Cougars will face a team from the Mountain West Conference - most likely San Diego State - on Dec. 20 in the Poinsettia Bowl at San Diego.

The last time BYU won a bowl game in Southern California was the 1984 Holiday Bowl, where the unbeaten Cougars beat Michigan 24-17 and went on to claim the national championship.

■ WOUNDED WINDER - Sophomore guard Anson Winder will miss BYU's final exhibition basketball game with a sprained left ankle. The former Bishop Gorman High School athlete has the ankle in a protective boot and will be re-evaluated before the season opener against Tennessee State on Nov. 9. BYU hosts Division II Findlay (Ohio) in an exhibition game at 6 p.m. Saturday on BYUtv (Cable 352).

Dave McCann is a news anchor for KSL television in Salt Lake City and play-by-play voice for BYU sports on BYUtv. He is also the host of True Blue, which airs Mondays at 5:30 p.m. on BYUtv. He can be reached at dmccann@ksl.com or on Twitter @DaveMcCannKSL.