This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Fans fought in the stands over BYU's quarterbacking. Utah's co-offensive coordinator colorfully invited his boss to fire him. Every ending of a BYU game created a stir, including a 17-point victory.
I can only hope the second half of the 2016 college football season is just as interesting around here. That could happen, with Utah positioned for a Rose Bowl opportunity and BYU having revived its season. Here's a look back and ahead at the halfway mark — and you'll want to stick around to the end, unlike ESPN announcer Mack Brown, whose next-day assignment forced him to miss the conclusion of BYU's 55-53 win over Toledo.
Reservation for Williams
One way or another, players named Williams were going to become big stories in the state. They've delivered. My ranking of the Williamses:
1. Troy, Utah quarterback. The former Washington QB produced a remarkable rally against USC by leading three long touchdown drives after the Utes trailed 24-10. His passing will be even more vital amid injuries to Utah's running backs.
2. Jamaal, BYU running back. He made it look easy with a school-record 286 rushing yards against Toledo and followed with some tough running at Michigan State. He should break BYU's career rushing mark Friday vs. Mississippi State.
3. Marcus, Utah safety. With three interceptions and two fumble recoveries, he personally claims more takeaways than nine FBS teams.
4. Anthony, Utah State linebacker. The Aggies' season is crumbling, but he leads the team in tackles.
5. Joe, Utah running back. Some combination of fumbles and injuries led him to lose interest in football and he retired two games into his senior season, triggering Utah's revolving staffing of the position.
McMahon/Johnson Award winner
By all appearances, Tanner Mangum's attitude has been exemplary, with Taysom Hill having supplanted him as BYU's quarterback after Mangum played well as a freshman during Hill's absence in 2015. Mangum has his defenders, including the guy who fought with a Hill backer as the Cougar offense struggled against UCLA and campus police were summoned to the stands.
Like Jim McMahon at BYU in 1979 and Brian Johnson at Utah in 2006, Mangum is having his career interrupted. They redshirted during their five-year tenures, but not Mangum. After he was activated to take two kneel-down snaps at Michigan State, many fans were outraged about his using a year's eligibility for that purpose. He used Twitter to remind them he never intended to redshirt, writing, "I'm already 23!"
Cute, overplayed story angles
BYU's bid for Big 12 membership could be decided next week. Yet describing the team's performance this season as an audition is an exaggeration. The Cougars have 40 years of football credentials in their favor — which could become irrelevant, if Big 12 presidents are worried about other issues with the school.
Also overrated: The ability of Utah's MUSS to generate noise that causes opponents' false-start penalties. The Utes themselves are having problems. After coach Kyle Whittingham apparently criticized offensive line coach Jim Harding about the flurry of penalties, Harding angrily responded, "F——— fire me," as caught by the Fox Sports 1 cameras Saturday.
In Utah's weekly rotation of assistant coaches, Harding's next scheduled media availability is in mid-November.
Utah Tourism Coach of the Year
Portland State's Bruce Barnum likened his team's trip to Southern Utah to The Grinch coming into Hooville, lodging at Brian Head Resort and playing in Cedar City. Last week, the Vikings visited Hogle Zoo before facing Weber State. The Hooville/Zooville strategy failed, in the end. In Cedar City, the Vikings were down 38-31 in the last minute with the ball at the SUU 4-yard line, and Utah native Alex Kuresa threw an interception that was returned 98 yards for a touchdown. In Ogden, PSU reached the 14-yard line, trailing 14-10, and Kuresa's fourth-down pass fell incomplete.
Weber State lost leads of 21 points at South Dakota (in a double-overtime defeat) and 22 points at UC Davis (in a last-second victory), but held onto a four-point edge Saturday.
The century mark
When their careers are over, Bronco Mendenhall of BYU/Virginia and Whittingham of Utah will be remembered as the most successful Utah high school graduates in college football coaching, other than LaVell Edwards. Mendenhall is 101-46 (.687); Whittingham is 100-47 (.680) and should move ahead sometime this season.
Resetting my projections
My preseason, game-by-game forecasts had Utah 5-1, BYU 2-4 and USU 4-2 at this stage — and going into bowl games at 9-3, 6-6 and 7-5, respectively. I figured Utah would lose to USC and beat California, so I missed by one play in each case. I thought Michigan State would be BYU's only guaranteed loss. And I had USU beating Air Force and Colorado State, not losing by seven points each.
So what's ahead? USU will finish 5-7, ending a five-year bowl run. BYU will go 8-4 and play San Diego State in the Poinsettia Bowl. Utah's case is where this gets interesting. I've got the Utes in the Rose Bowl, but not as the Pac-12 champions.
Because of UCLA's demise, I'm now saying Utah will be 10-3 with two losses to Washington, Oct. 29 at Rice-Eccles Stadium and Dec. 2 in the Pac-12 title game at Santa Clara, Calif. If Washington makes the College Football Playoff, the Rose Bowl will select another Pac-12 team.
Washington State is in the picture, so the Utes need to cheer against WSU and hope they perform more respectably against Washington than the Cougars do. The alternative strategy is hoping WSU wins the Apple Cup and the Pac-12 North title, creating a Utah-Washington State matchup in the championship game with the Rose Bowl at stake.
Twitter: @tribkurt —
Kragthorpe's first-half predictions
Team Prediction Actual
Utah 5-1 5-1
BYU 2-4 3-3
USU 4-2 2-4
Revised season prediction
Team Prediction
Utah 10-3*
BYU 8-4
USU 5-7
*Included Pac-12 championship game
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More coverage
Utah • Running back Armand Shyne is out for the season with a knee injury in the latest injury setback for the Utes. > B3
BYU • The Cougars have displayed improved sportsmanship this season under new coach Kalani Sitake. > B3