Nate Geiger is Back in Action, Again Battling For Starting Gig

LARAMIE -- What exactly happened?

Nate Geiger, nearly 11 months later, still can't wrap his mind around it.

His adrenaline was admittedly pegged. Who could blame him? The 6-foot-5, 295-pound redshirt freshman wasn't just making his first-career start during that sweltering opener in the desert, it was his initial appearance in a college football game.

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On the 10th offensive snap of the night, quarterback Evan Svoboda sailed a third-and-long pass over the middle of the field that was promptly picked off by Arizona State linebacker Keyshaun Elliott.

During the interception return, well, that's when it gets fuzzy.

"I went to chase him down and the defensive end came in and I came back to hit him. I guess I hit him with my leg completely straight," Geiger recalled last Monday, just minutes after the Cowboys' opening practice of fall camp. "It definitely bent back a little bit."

To say the least.

Laying on the opposite sideline, grasping at his left knee, the Highlands Ranch, Colo., product knew immediately something was wrong.

After the collision, courtesy of 240-pound edge rusher Clayton Smith, Geiger says he remembers fellow lineman Nofoafia Tulafono yanked him up by his jersey, urging him to get up.

He hoped it was just a sprain.

It wasn't.

"I tore my ACL, meniscus and UCL," he said, recalling the news he received after an MRI back in Laramie the following day. "It was like a one-in-a-million thing."

The Sun Devils routed the visitors 48-7 that night in Tempe. Geiger helplessly watched from the sidelines as Jake Davies, another redshirt freshman with zero playing experience, stepped in for him.

Turns out, the move was permanent.

"Yeah, it sucked, obviously," he added.

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Davies had his struggles during the Cowboys mostly forgettable 3-9 campaign. He wasn't alone. Wyoming's front was credited with allowing 27 sacks. The trademark running game that was so dominant under former head coach Craig Bohl, bottomed out at just 137.8 yards an outing. That's an average of 3.6 yards per carry.

The passing game, also like it was known to do during the Bohl era, was one of the least efficient in the nation, racking up just over 189 yards a game. That number was inflated thanks to a 342-yard passing day from Kaden Anderson in a road win at New Mexico.

Toughness, rightfully so, was in question.

All Geiger could do was look on.

"I think when you get an injury like that, as a young kid, it really sets you back," said Joe Tripodi, Wyoming's fourth-year offensive line coach. "That's a hard deal to go through a season-ender like that. You win a job, and then it's, you know, taken away from you."

Fast forward to Monday. Geiger now has a clean bill of health and a renewed mindset.

Yes, he's once again in the midst of a battle for the starting job. Davies, who appeared in all 12 games last fall, is again in the hunt -- and much improved -- according to head coach Jay Sawvel. But this time around, Rex Johnsen and Giovanni Panozzo, among others, are also seeking a role on the front five.

One will line up on the right, the other on the left.

So far, Geiger has manned the latter spot.

"You still want to get your best five out there," Sawvel said. "So, as we go through a period of time, whatever that best five combination is, is how that's going to go."

In other words, it's early.

Geiger said he welcomes the competition.

"It's good just to see each other push us to get better," he said. "I mean, the whole offensive line room, it really is like a brotherhood. That's one of our core values. Trust in everybody, and trust in the coaches, the best person will win the spot."

Did Geiger learn anything in those few snaps inside Sun Devil Stadium?

A smile creased his face.

"I think I performed pretty well," he added with a laugh. "The best thing I learned was game experience. Like entering kind of feeling calm, and I kind of got that presence of, once you start playing, it's just you and the other guy. As far as nerves, I don't think my next game back will be like that."

Another valuable lesson was the unfortunate kind -- this game can be taken away from you at any moment.

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players