BYU's offensive line facing even more pressure to protect QB Tanner Mangum


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

PROVO — Since starting quarterback Tanner Mangum pulled his right hamstring with 2:30 remaining in the third quarter of the East Carolina game, there has been even more pressure on the offensive line to protect the Cougars' gunslinger.

They certainly stepped up to the challenge in a 38-24 victory against Cincinnati last Friday night. BYU did not allow a sack for the first time since a 64-0 victory against FCS foe Savannah State last season. BYU center Tejan Koroma said protecting Mangum was a big emphasis last week.

"That (not giving up a sack) is always the goal going into every game," Koroma said. "We knew, especially this game with Tanner a little banged up, that we wanted to make his job as easy as possible. We tried to give him as much time as possible and keep him clean."

Prior to last weekend's game versus Cincinnati, the Cougars were on pace (including a pending bowl game) to give up 46 sacks on the season. If realized, that sack total would surpass the previous high in the Bronco Mendenhall era of 38 in 2013. Following last week's win, BYU is now on pace to allow 39 sacks this season, which would still be a record for the Mendenhall era.

Koroma and his linemates were pleased with their performance last week, but they aren't satisfied.

"I think the offensive line as a whole did really well," Koroma said. "That was the first time (this season) we didn't give up a sack, so we're definitely proud of that. There's always things you can keep building on and we'll keep trying to get better."

The line's performance was especially noteworthy considering the absence of starters Ului Lapuaho, Ryker Mathews and Kyle Johnson for large chunks of the Cincinnati game. Koroma was impressed with Austin Hoyt, Tuni Kanuch and Brad Wilcox, who each stepped in to fill the void. The play of the offensive line will continue to be a point of emphasis as Mangum progresses toward being 100 percent again.

Photo: Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Photo: Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

The line on the opposite side of the ball also came up huge against the Bearcats on Friday. BYU's defensive line totaled eight sacks, good for second most all-time for a single game in Cougars history. The BYU record for a single game is 10, which occurred in a December 1987 victory against Colorado State. Senior Bronson Kaufusi tallied three of the sacks on Friday night.

"No sack is an easy one," Kaufusi said. "Coach (Mendenhall) put us in some really good positions to do that. We had some new blitzes that worked. We were also able to pick up on some little cues that helped us know when they were going to pass on earlier downs."

Having faced them every day in practice, Koroma is well aware of the defensive potential.

"I'm not surprised," Koroma said. "Our defense is great. There are some athletes on that side of the football, so I'm not surprised. I'm proud of those guys."

In what seems to be the year of the sack, at its current pace, BYU would finish the 2015 season with 44 sacks. If it happens, that would be the most for a BYU team with Mendenhall at the helm. Blake Dorton is a student at BYU studying broadcast journalism and French. He hopes to pursue a career in sports broadcasting following graduation. Follow him on Twitter @BlakeDorton.

Most recent Sports stories

Related topics

SportsBYU Cougars
Blake Dorton

    ARE YOU GAME?

    From first downs to buzzer beaters, get KSL.com’s top sports stories delivered to your inbox weekly.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast