This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
By denying former BYU running back Harvey Unga readmission to the school in 2010, costing him a senior season, BYU's administration effectively made Unga's career rushing record attainable for someone in the future.
Yet some kind of curse apparently is attached to that record. The latest evidence supporting that theory came Thursday, when BYU announced Jamaal Williams' withdrawal from the school for personal reasons, sidelining him for the 2015 season. Williams intends to play in 2016, coach Bronco Mendenhall said, and he presumably can break Unga's record of 3,455 yards next year.
As for immediate concerns, Williams' absence applies more pressure to senior quarterback Taysom Hill, in multiple ways. More will be asked of Hill as a passer and a runner. The Cougars will have to emphasize the passing game, and they also will need more of the dynamic running ability that Hill can provide.
Offensive coordinator Robert Anae's plan was to limit the number of designed runs for Hill this season, as the QB returns from a broken leg. Anae wanted to use tight ends as blockers and create more of a traditional, tailback-oriented rushing attack with Williams, as opposed to option plays involving the quarterback. Algernon Brown can function well in that scheme, but he lacks Williams' breakaway ability.
So it will be very tempting for Anae to utilize Hill in the running game, as much as he would like to keep the QB healthy. Overall, BYU's offense remains far ahead of the 2010 unit that had to adjust to the loss of Unga with some combination of running backs Bryan Kariya, J.J. DiLuigi, Mike Hague and freshman Josh Quezada. That team was quarterbacked by the tandem of Riley Nelson and freshman Jake Heaps.
Now, the Cougars have Hill, a good offensive line and some outstanding receivers. They'll still miss Williams. Assuming he looked like his old self after a knee injury ended his 2014 season in early November, he would have contributed to an elite-level offense.
But nothing has come easily for Williams in the past 12 months. He entered the 2014 season needing 1,448 yards to match Unga's career total, and Anae said during Media Day last summer, "I already apologized to Harvey, because that record's going down."
Williams was suspended for the season opener at Connecticut and came back to have some strong performances, but was affected by injuries and gained only 518 yards before hurting his knee at Middle Tennessee and missing the last four games. So his quest to catch Unga, lacking 930 yards, is deferred for a year.
Attrition is part of the game, but it is remarkable how all three of Utah's FBS schools have experienced personnel losses this summer. In a media poll conducted by the The Zone Sports Network, I voted Williams, Utah cornerback Dominique Hatfield, Utah State receiver JoJo Natson and USU defensive lineman Travis Seefeldt among the top 33 players in the state, in that order. None of the four is likely to play this season, for varying reasons.
They're all vital players, but Williams is likely to be the most noticeable this season, in his absence.
Twitter: @tribkurt