There is a basic understanding in organized football that when a player gets injured, the people responsible for removing him from the field will make some effort to improve his condition.

On Saturday in Morgantown, that understanding was subjected to an unexpected field test.

Cincinnati defensive lineman Josh Hough suffered a lower-body injury against West Virginia. Medical personnel loaded him onto a cart for transport to the locker room, where he could receive further treatment.

Then the cart backed into a wall.

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Not near a wall. Not toward a wall. Into the wall, with Hough's already injured leg extended from the vehicle.

The collision appeared to press his foot against the stadium infrastructure, producing the sort of reaction generally associated with the original injury rather than the medical response.

The driver, whose West Virginia shirt suggested at least some familiarity with the home team's interests, had apparently failed to account for the wall.

The wall was not moving. West Virginia had enjoyed considerable advance notice of its location. It had been standing there throughout the afternoon, performing its responsibilities without incident.

Hough was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Whether the collision aggravated his injury remains unclear.

College football has invested extraordinary resources in player safety. Saturday's incident suggests at least one remaining vulnerability in the system. Maybe we should consider not backing the injured player into the building.

In the interests of competitive integrity, perhaps Cincinnati should handle its own transportation next time.