Evidently, Ryan Broyles was just the tip of the iceberg. Week 11 of the college football season left a path of destruction throughout the country. Let's take a look at the damage, from Clemson to Honolulu, with an extended stop in Columbia, MO.
Sammy Watkins, Clemson Receiver
Injury: Watkins injured his shoulder late in the third quarter of the Tigers' 31-28 comeback win over Wake Forest. The Tigers were down, 28-14, at the time of injury but rallied.
Prognosis: Watkins has a sprained AC joint, not a separated shoulder, and might play this weekend against N.C. State.
Replacement: Tajh Boyd completed 15 passes to five receivers after Watkins' injury. Dwayne Allen led the way with four late catches, while Jaron Brown and DeAndre Hopkins each had three, and Brandon Ford caught a touchdown pass. N.C. State has a decent pass defense, and Clemson would certainly be limited without Watkins, but a) it is still a decent unit and b) the Tigers have already clinched a spot in the ACC title game, so there is no need to take chances.
Zach Collaros, Cincinnati Quarterback
Injury: Collaros broke his ankle getting sacked in the second quarter of the Bearcats' costly 24-21 loss to West Virginia. To add insult to injury, he fumbled on the play, and West Virginia recovered it for a touchdown and a 17-7 lead.
Prognosis: He will, at the very least, miss the rest of the regular season after having surgery this morning, though he conceivably might be able to return for the bowl game. And Cincinnati is still in line for a potentially high-profile bowl bid.
Replacement: Beautifully named backup Munchie Legeaux completed 10 of 21 passes for 144 yards in Collaros' absence. Legeaux was not amazingly efficient, but he did rally the Bearcats. WVU had to block a 31-yard field goal at the buzzer to hold on.
Henry Josey, Missouri Running Back
Injury: Josey tore his ACL, MCL and patellar tendon on an awkward tackle near the Missouri sideline in the Tigers' 17-5 win over Texas. You knew it was bad when Texas coach Mack Brown jogged across the field just to pat Josey on the shoulder and wish him luck.
Prognosis: Yeah, he's gone for the season, to say the least.
Replacement: Kendial Lawrence rushed for 106 yards on 18 carries against the 'Horns. Lawrence actually won the starting job at the beginning of the season before getting hurt and ceding the job to Josey. (Mizzou entered 2011 with a wealth of four nearly even running backs. All four either have missed or will miss significant time to injury.) Missouri's final two opponents headed into this past weekend ranked 101st (Texas Tech) and 90th (Kansas) in Def. Rushing S&P+, so Lawrence should find holes through which to scoot.
Foswhitt Whittaker, Texas Running Back
Injury: Whittaker tore his ACL and MCL against Missouri, falling to the ground on a simple cut.
Prognosis: His Texas career is over. We have reached the point in the season where there are no redshirts, and seniors who think they have a few games remaining do not. You ache for Whittaker, who will now be in street clothes for Senior Day.
Replacement: Technically Whittaker has some rather talented backups, but they aren't healthy either. Freshmen Malcolm Brown (turf toe) and Joe Bergeron (hamstring) were both held out of the Missouri game due to nagging injuries, leaving Jeremy Hills (11 carries, 35 yards) and D.J. Monroe (seven carries, 30 yards) to man an entirely ineffective run game versus Mizzou.
Keenan Robinson, Texas Linebacker
Injury: Texas-Mizzou certainly qualified as the most damaging game in the country. Robinson missed most of the second half with a thumb injury.
Prognosis: His status is unknown. He was wearing a cast after the game, but linebackers have been known to play with casts before.
Replacement: With Josey getting hurt and Missouri quarterback James Franklin suffering from a neck stinger, the Mizzou offense got completely shut down without Robinson (they gained just 48 yards in their final 34 plays), but facing off against Kansas State and big Collin Klein this weekend, it would behoove the 'Horns to have the underrated Robinson in place.
Keith Price, Washington Quarterback
Injury: Price injured his left knee on a sack (he had already dinged up his other knee as well) during the Huskies' 40-17 loss to USC and was removed.
Prognosis: Washington expects him to play this coming weekend versus Oregon State, though he might not be 100 percent until the offseason.
Replacement: Nick Montana is one of the more capable backups around if Price gets shut down for one reason or another. He completed nine of 15 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown against USC, and he has completed 13 of 20 passes for 147 yards on the season. He is not as dynamic as Price, but the freshman with the bloodlines seems to have some potential.
Danny O'Brien, Maryland Quarterback
Injury: O'Brien broke a bone in his upper arm in the third quarter of Maryland's 45-21 loss to Notre Dame.
Prognosis: The 2-8 Terps' season wlil end in two weeks, and there is obviously no way he returns in that span of time. The sophomore's season is done.
Replacement: O'Brien had already lost his job to sophomore C.J. Brown at times, and while Brown has not been tremendously successful in 2011, neither was O'Brien. O'Brien passed for 348 yards and a touchdown in Maryland's fun home win over Miami on Labor Day, but he has struggled mightily since then. His final passing line for the season: 1,648 yards, 56-percent completion rate, seven touchdowns, 10 interceptions. Brown is an even less efficient passer, though he has been occasionally impressive with his legs.
Riley Nelson, BYU Quarterback
Injury: Nelson suffered a broken rib and a partially collapsed lung in the Cougars' 42-7 win over Idaho.
Prognosis: He will miss this coming game versus New Mexico State, but he is expected to return by BYU's early-December trip to Hawaii.
Replacement: Jake Heaps began the season as BYU's starter; the former blue-chipper struggled, however, and lost his job to Nelson midway through the fifth game. He looked great against Idaho (15-for-20, 185 yards, two touchdowns and an interception), but he will need to engineer some nice drives against a New Mexico State team that has figured a few things out offensively and will put some points on the board.
Bryant Moniz, Hawaii Quarterback
Injury: Moniz broke his right ankle in the Warriors' 42-28 loss to Nevada.
Prognosis: He is out for the rest of the regular season, though like Collaros, he could return for the bowl. That is ... if Hawaii makes a bowl. They are a disappointing 5-5 at the moment and need to win two of three against Fresno State, Tulane and BYU.
Replacement: Senior Shane Austin and sophomore David Graves will split time in Moniz's absence. Austin was disappointing versus Nevada: 17-for-38, 246 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions. Granted, these quarterbacks should suffice versus listless Tulane and a fading Fresno State squad.