(Kim Klement | USA TODAY Sports)
On the day that he announced his transfer from Minnesota to Rutgers, Philip Nelson gently sidestepped a question about anticipating a game 33 months down the road.
That game -- Rutgers at Minnesota -- is only two days away now, but Nelson won't be playing in it. Instead, if his recovery from a concussion allows, Nelson will lead East Carolina into Cincinnati in an American Athletic Conference primetime matchup.
Nelson transferred to Rutgers in January 2014 with a plan to sit out one season under NCAA rules and challenge the likes of Chris Laviano and Gio Rescigno to succeed starting quarterback Gary Nova as a redshirt junior and senior.