Senior SMU quarterback Garrett Gilbert said again Wednesday that he remains hopeful of playing in the Mustangs' game Saturday against UCF after missing last week's game with a knee injury.

How realistic that hope is remains to be seen. Gilbert again sat out of practice Wednesday, wearing a brace under his warm-up suit, and said he is doing "everything possible" to get ready for Saturday's game.

Senior quarterback Garrett Gilbert said he is doing everything possible to try to play Saturday against UCF, but the decision will be made by team doctors (photo by PonyFans.com).

"I have my range of motion pretty much back," Gilbert said. "It's feeling better — now it's a matter of getting my feet back under me.

"I'd love for my knee to be as good as it can be, to where I feel like I can get out there and give it a shot. If I have the ability to move around in the pocket and to cut on it (when running), then I hope I get a chance to play."

Gilbert said that had the choice been left to him, he would have tried to play last week in Houston. Redshirt freshman Neal Burcham got his first collegiate start in Reliant Stadium last week, and will start again Saturday if Gilbert is unable to play.

"It's not up to me," Gilbert said. "Like I said, I'm doing everything I can to have a chance to play. The trainers are doing a great job helping me get ready, but it's up to the coaches and the doctors."

Gilbert said he is wearing the brace all day, but that is "more for protection" than because he needs it to walk. Head coach June Jones said Tuesday that if Gilbert plays Saturday, he will have a brace on his knee.

In addition to his knee, another issue facing Gilbert, if he plays Saturday, is the fact that the game likely will be the coldest in which he has played in his entire life. Forecasts have said Saturday's high temperature could be in the low 30s.

“What’s the high going to be? Thirty-one?” Gilbert asked. “I have played in some cold games, but that’s very cold — I haven’t ever played in one that cold. You have to make some adjustments, because the ball gets pretty slick when it gets cold. You have to keep some moisture on your hand, but I have never tried it in temperatures that low, obviously.”

Gilbert said that if he plays, he does not know if he will experiment with a glove on his throwing hand, like the one Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning wears in cold weather and the one former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner wore all the time.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Peyton Manning wears one, but he has said his grip on the ball is not as strong. I know I’ll have a hand warmer, and try to keep moisture on my hand, but I don’t know about the glove.”

Gilbert said the ramifications that playing Saturday might have on his possible NFL future will not be a factor in determining whether he plays Saturday.

“Saturday’s not about that — it’s about us,” Gilbert said. “That (the NFL) is not something I’m at liberty to think about. My goal is to do everything I can to get ready for Saturday. I’m going to spend as much time as I can with the doctors and the trainers, and see if I can play.

“If not, I’m going to be in Neal’s ear all day Saturday, encouraging him and helping him in any way I can. If I can’t play, I’m going to be SMU’s biggest cheerleader.”