Blake Christopher, the first-year starter at quarterback for Northwest Missouri State, has broken a bone in his hand and will be out at least this week, the university told me Friday, though I'm hearing it will likely mean he's out much longer.

A university spokesman told me the break, to a bone in his throwing hand, came this week in practice, but the St. Joseph News Press is reporting it happend when his girlfriend accidentally closed a car door on his hand. Either way, it means sophomore Trevor Adams will start at quarterback Saturday against Lincoln.

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Team doctors will re-evaluate Christopher, a senior who played behind Bearcat legends Joel Osborn and Blake Bolles, after the Lincoln game to determine how long he will be out. My source who initially tipped me off to this story is hearing it could be upwards of six weeks, but there has been no confirmation on that from the team.

"We're very thankful it's not a season-ending injury bo no means," Bearcat head coach Adam Dorrel told the News Press.

In two blowout victories this season, Christopher, from Kearney, Mo., has thrown for an MIAA high 571 yards and has completed a league-best 68.9 percent of his passes. He attempted only 50 passes in his first three years in Maryville.

Adams, from Odessa, Texas, is listed as playing in 14 games last year, but only attempted one pass, a nine-yard completion in the Missouri Southern game. Backing up Christopher this year, he has seen a decent amount of playing time, but has only thrown six passes, completing three of them for 19 yards.

At 6 foot 1, 200 pounds, Adams is an inch shorter and 20 pounds lighter than Christopher, and while Dorrel says he's more of a pocket passer, his high school numbers show he can hurt you both through the air and on the ground.

In 2008, his senior year at Permian High School, he completed 191 of 280 passes for 2,683 yards and 22 touchdowns, adding 528 yards and six touchdowns on 100 carries. He set the program record for passing yards and touchdowns in a single season. He was also the only person to ever pass for 200 yards and rush for 100 in a single game.

"We're gonna be just fine with him," Dorrel told the News Press.

Behind Adams on the depth chart is Bellevue, Neb., native Tyler Seals, a sophomore who has yet to see any playing time as a Bearcat, but who broke Nebraska Class A career marks in passing yards and touchdowns in just two years under center at West High School.

After their game at Lincoln Saturday, the Bearcats return home for their 'blackout' game against Fort Hays on Sept. 24, then travel to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., to take on Pittsbug State in the 10th installment of the Fall Classic.

After Arrowhead, they travel to Warrensburg to battle UCM and then host Eastern New Mexico and Washburn.

If Christopher is out a full six weeks, which again has NOT been confirmed as of late Friday night, he would miss all of these games. The Bearcats have enough talent behind Adams to beat Lincoln, Hays and Southern with their eyes closed, but Pitt, UCM and particularly Washburn could pose some serious issues for the Bearcats if they're throwing out an inexperienced quarterback (especially if he struggles in these first few weeks).

Dorrel, who I've been unable to reach, in his conversation with the News Press, wouldn't say how long he thinks Christopher might be out, but it sounds like they're ready for it to be a while.

"You don't have to be a mathematician to look at our schedule to see where it's heading. We've got to get (Adams) ready for down the road."

Follow me on twitter @miAARONd2 for updates on this story.