Montana head coach Bob Stitt, left, and trainers surround quarterback Reese Phillips (11) after he was injured on a play against Savannah State in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017, in Missoula, Mont. (AP Photo/Patrick Record)Former Signal Mountain quarterback Reese Phillips suffered a serious left leg injury in Montana’s 56-3 home win over Savannah State on Saturday.
Phillips was hurt after scrambling on a broken play earlier in the second quarter, and the fifth-year senior had to be carted off the field. He had completed his first 13 passes for 148 yards before the injury, and redshirt freshman Gresch Jensen took over, passing for three touchdowns and running for another in the victory.
According to reports at 406mtsports.com, Phillips’ mother, Elaine Reese, posted Saturday night on Twitter that her son had ruptured ligaments and a broken bone and underwent surgery.
An all-state baseball and football honoree for the Eagles in high school, Phillips started his college career at Kentucky, redshirting in 2013 before playing in three games in 2014 and one in 2015. He transferred to Montana after that season and played in four games for the Football Championship Subdivision program last season, completing 8 of 15 passes for 50 and adding 12 yards on three carries.
Through three games this season, he completed 57 of 80 passes for 652 yards, as well as four touchdowns, all in the opener against Valparaiso.