The top quarterback missed a game with a broken wrist. The top running back missed more than a game with a sprained ankle. A starting offensive guard has missed several games, as have starters at linebacker, defensive end, and in the secondary.

But through it all, Weber State football finished the truncated spring season 5-0, defended its Big Sky crown for a third time and, because of the conference scheduling, will rest up this week ahead of the FCS playoffs selection reveal Sunday and the first round on April 24.

Weber State head coach Jay Hill said that an overall attitude stood out to him as he looked back on the regular season.

“I like their toughness and their ability to finish games, even though they were tight and got to the stage of too tight, in some of them,” Hill said. “I like their overall effort. They’re giving us what they have, and that’s usually enough.”

The steady rotation of guys leaving due to or returning from injury, as well as a six-game schedule shortened to five and interrupted by weeks off, has made the 2021 spring season feel like it has little continuity.

One such player to battle injury but later make an impact is junior cornerback Marque Collins, who fully returned to action in the finale to help beat Idaho State 20-15. He recorded five tackles, including one for loss, and grabbed the game-sealing interception.

“As far as my individual game, I was a little up and down but this past week I feel like I was really in my groove so hopefully I can build off that for the playoffs and see where it takes me,” Collins said.

That’s been just one position of plug-and-play, Hill said.

“There was a time last game at Southern Utah where Justin Malone is out, Josh Davis is out, we’re playing with Bronson Barron who has a broken wrist and a cast on his hand. We’re down our starting guard and you’re shuffling your offensive line around — and you just find a way,” Hill said, while also mentioning the absence of Noah Vaea and Ja’Kobe Harris.

“It’s exciting to watch other guys go in there and step up … It’s just been a weird year. But the other guys have stepped up great, there’s not been a slip and we’ve been able to handle our business and get wins. That should only strengthen us down the road.”

Collins said tutelage from cornerbacks coach Andre Dyson has boosted his own play and the position group’s. That, added to trust in Hill’s schemes and playcalling helps each player, starter or backup, find success.

“Our team is 100% behind coach Hill. Whatever he calls, we’ll try our best to execute it which is why I believe we’re in good positions to win the game,” Collins said. “We can play whoever, it doesn’t matter, with his game plan and his scheme, if we just follow it there’s a very high chance we’ll win that game.”

With Davis going down two weeks ago against Southern Utah, freshman Dontae McMillan rushed for 138 yards in barely more than a quarter. With Malone out, Dallin Jamison caught his first career passes, including a touchdown, at tight end.

“When guys have gone down, we’ve had people step up and play well. George Barrera on the offensive line has done a good job since he took over. It’s been one different guy after another who’s been able to pull it off,” Hill said.

“You’ve got to trust your staff to overcome some of these issues and try to get the backups in positions to be successful. And you put a lot of trust and faith in these players as well that they’ve been paying attention in meetings and when their time is called, they’re ready to step up and not have any drop off from the starters. That’s one thing they’ve done.”

With a first-round playoff game still more than a week away, Hill says he plans to have Davis, Tapusoa, Clay Moss and Kam Garrett back to full health, with Vaea and George Tarlas working to get back. Dave Jones, who starts on every special teams unit and is “so critical in so many things that we do,” Hill says, should return after missing the regular-season finale.

Hill also left open the possibility that expected starting defensive end McKade Mitton, who has not played this season due to a muscle tear, may be able to make his return before the season concludes.

WSU will hold three practices in the off-week, he said, while letting players catch up on classwork ahead of approaching finals.

“We’re hoping like crazy we can get better. We’ve got to get some of these guys back and healthy, which is going to be critical, and just trying to find a way,” Hill said.