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Washington State WR Brandon Arconado doesn’t return to field after suffering apparent wrist injury

Washington State Cougars receiver Brandon Arconado (18) hits the ground on the play he left the game after during the first half of a college football game on Friday, November 29, 2019, at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Wash. (Tyler Tjomsland / The Spokesman-Review)
By Theo Lawson theol@spokesman.com(509) 459-5584

SEATTLE – For the second straight game, Washington State’s Brandon Arconado took an early trip to the injury tent and missed the remainder of the game after an apparent injury to the same left wrist that forced him to leave the Cougars’ 54-53 win over Oregon State.

Arconado left Friday’s Apple Cup in the first quarter and spent most of the first half being treated by athletic trainers in the injury tent on the home sideline. The redshirt senior “Y” slot receiver eventually returned to the field against OSU, but “H” receiver Renard Bell filled in while he was out and played admirably, catching eight passes for 108 yards and eight touchdowns.

Bell, who filled in at “Y” earlier this season when Arconado missed games against Utah and Arizona State, also played in the former walk-on’s place against the Huskies and had four receptions for 43 yards in the first half, then five more in the second half to finish with 87 yards.

The wrist injury isn’t the same as the lower body injury Arconado suffered earlier this season, causing him to skip WSU’s trips to Salt Lake City and Tempe. Even with missing two full games and parts of three others, the Chino Hills, California, native has caught 63 passes for 908 yards and six touchdowns.

WSU quarterback Anthony Gordon said he spoke with Arconado in the first quarter, telling reporters the receiver wasn’t too optimistic about his chances of returning to the game.

“He figured he wasn’t going to go again and I was kind of aware of it,” Gordon said. “He’s been battling, he’s a tough player and he’s been battling through little nicks and bruises here and there, and I just kind of saw the look in his face and kind of knew that Renard was probably going to be our ‘Y’ the rest of the game and he did an awesome job.”

Arconado would have up to three weeks, or as many as four, to recover for WSU’s bowl game. The Cougars will likely play in the Dec. 21 Las Vegas Bowl, the Dec. 27 Cheez-It Bowl or the Dec. 31 Sun Bowl.