When Tommy Armstrong Jr. went down on Saturday night, many feared the worst.

The Nebraska quarterback was unconscious briefly and eventually, he was taken off on a stretcher. Within minutes, it was obvious that Armstrong would be out at least for the rest of the game, and possibly longer.

But Armstrong surprised everyone when he returned to the sideline in the second half in his hospital scrubs. Armstrong looked better than many expected to then, and he could make a quicker recovery than many expected.

According to Nebraska coach Mike Riley, Armstrong is day-to-day after suffering a concussion. The good news was that there wasn’t any spinal injury and that if Armstrong passes protocol, he could play on Saturday against Minnesota.

“This is out of our hands, which is a good thing,” Riley said on Monday. “That decision will be made medically.”

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Riley said Armstrong told him that he feels good. Nebraska will make a decision on his status by Thursday.

If Armstrong is ruled out, the Huskers would turn to Ryker Fyfe, who struggled in relief on Saturday night in Columbus. Nebraska lost in Fyfe’s only career start, which was last year at Purdue.

Zack Darlington would be the backup if Fyfe got the start.

Either way, Riley is expecting Armstrong to make an impact on the game.

“There will be no problem having Tommy be there for this team,” Riley said. “That’s been who he is and who they expect him to be. He will be there for this team. He will be there to play if he can.”