Holtz proceeding very cautiously with Mitchell

Posted Oct 27, 2011 by Adam Adkins

Updated Oct 27, 2011 at 09:02 PM

Though sophomore receiver/punt returner Terrence Mitchell was able to get back on the practice field in pads this week and showed tremendous progress according to receivers coach Phil McGeoghan, it seems Mitchell still has a ways to go before getting back into game action.

USF coach Skip Holtz said following Thursday’s practice, which Mitchell was excused from as he tended to a family situation, that Mitchell saw limited action in non-contact drills Tuesday and Wednesday, with the goal being to see if any post-concussion symptoms resurfaced when his heart rate accelerated.

“We’re just proceeding with caution and we wanted to go through these three days and see how he responded to it,” Holtz said. “We didn’t get him a lot of work. Again, we’ve got to proceed very cautiously. I’m not in a ‘throw him back in.’ I know the doctors will make that decision when he’s cleared to go, and at this point we don’t have him.”

Holtz said he’s not counting on Mitchell to be available in USF’s next game, Nov. 5 at Rutgers, and really isn’t targeting any game for a potential return.

“Really, the severity of the injury, the number of concussions that he’s had, right from the get go I looked at it like anything if we were able to get him back it would be a bonus,” Holtz said. “He’s not a one week, a two week or a three week. We’re counting that it’ll be a season. ... You want to proceed with caution.”