Illinois quarterback Jon Beutjer was limited to riding an exercise bike Sunday after bruising his ribs and sternum when he was tackled late in the first half of Saturday’s 35-17 loss to UCLA.
“Nothing serious, but it can take a long time to heal,” Beutjer said. “All my insides are sore. I had X-rays and a CAT scan, and they all were negative. I’ve got to take it day by day, get treatment and see how it feels. If the doctors tell me nothing can happen to me physically, then I’ll play Saturday.”
When Beutjer went down, coach Ron Turner feared the worst.
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“It’s a lot better than what they told me it could be,” Turner said. “Fortunately, it had nothing to do with the [back] surgery he had last year. We’ll be conservative. We’re not going to put him out there until he’s healthy.”
Redshirt freshman Brad Bower, who replaced Beutjer, is temporarily working with the first string.
“I love Jon and look up to him,” Bower said. “I was praying that he’d come back healthy. When I saw him walking around in the training room [Sunday], I gave him a big hug–a soft big hug.”