Paul Wulff not expecting early return for QB Jeff Tuel
Sep 29, 2011, 5:25 PM | Updated: Sep 30, 2011, 10:27 am
By Brady Henderson
Washington State got some good news earlier this week when Jeff Tuel began throwing the football less weeks after suffering a broken collarbone.
 Jeff Tuel |
But don’t expect the injured quarterback to return earlier than originally anticipated. Coach Paul Wulff told “The Kevin Calabro Show” on Thursday that Tuel appears to be on schedule in his recovery, which was expected to take six to eight weeks.
That timeframe puts Tuel on track to return as early as the Cougars’ sixth game, which is on Oct. 15 against sixth-ranked Stanford.
“I don’t think it’s good,” Wulff said of the chance Tuel has to play next weekend against UCLA. “Realistically, the initial timetable was obviously six to eight weeks; the following week [after UCLA] would put us at six. To say that he’ll be ready by five would be pushing it, but I’m not a doctor and I don’t know how well he heals.”
Wulff said he’ll have a better idea of Tuel’s progress after Tuel has an X-ray on Sunday — his second since suffering the injury in the season opener. Wulff expects Tuel to be in pads next week.
The Cougars open their Pac-12 schedule on Saturday against Colorado. The game begins at 12:30 and can be heard on 770 KTTH AM.
