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Provo • Although the outcome was expected — BYU pummeled FCS Wagner 70-6 on Saturday at LaVell Edwards Stadium — there was one mild surprise for the 56,015 BYU fans who attended the mismatch.
The Cougars have a new tight end.
Senior Remington Peck, who played tight end at Bingham High School, moved over to that position from defensive end and was mostly used as a blocker against the Seahawks.
"It is permanent for the rest of the season," BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "He has emerged right now for that role in the true tight end position. He is the starter now at that spot. He earned that spot this week."
The Cougars were thin at tight end going into last week's win over Cincinnati, then the situation got worse when Bryan Sampson left with an undisclosed injury.
Peck, who is 6-foot-4 and 275 pounds, "gives us the ability to run the ball more effectively," Mendenhall said. "He runs and catches the ball decently. He already knows the defense inside and out, so we can use him in that role whenever we need to. But we are looking predominantly for him to help us get better offensively. Pretty neat that he is able to do that and wants to do it. Yeah, our coaches on the offensive side have been impressed with him."
Algie and the cannon
Shortly after scoring his second touchdown of the game on a 37-yard run, Algernon Brown ran into the cannon in the northeast corner of the playing field, named the George Q. Cannon. The junior, who now has eight touchdowns in three games since returning from a knee injury suffered against Boise State, momentarily left the game, but was OK, Mendenhall said.
"Oh, man, I wish he wasn't in the game," Mendenhall said, when asked what he thought after seeing Brown hobble away from the cannon. "It is fun to watch him. It is a fine line as a coach how much you give players in a game like this."
Later, Mendenhall said Brown suffered "a bruise and a scrape and a laceration" to his leg.
That was BYU's only injury, according to a preliminary report Mendenhall received on the sideline late in the game.
Freshman quarterback Tanner Mangum played on a pulled hamstring, but it didn't show.
"He looks OK. Again, he was more healthy this week than he was a week ago," Mendenhall said. "And he will have now two full weeks of practice/recovery, and that is coming at the right time."
Another blocked kick
Travis Tuiloma blocked a field goal attempt last week against Cincinnati, and fellow nose tackle Logan Taele got a block on Saturday, knocking down a Wagner PAT attempt in the third quarter. It was BYU's first blocked PAT since Russell Tialavea got one in 2012 against San Jose State.
Briefly
It was the largest crowd that Wagner has ever played in front of, 56,015 fans. … Former BYU center Sete Aulai carried the alumni flag onto the field. Aulai played for the Cougars from 2005-07. … Safety Michael Wadsworth (special teams) and nose tackle Travis Tuiloma (team) brought out the other flags for BYU. … Captains were receiver Nick Kurtz and defensive end Bronson Kaufusi. … The Cougars won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff. ... Temperature at kickoff was 60 degrees.
Twitter: @drewjay