BYU-Portland State: 3 Bold Predictions
By Phil Poling
Mangum Struggles Early
Tanner Mangum is the brightest of spots for a Cougars offense that returns virtually nobody from a season ago. Stay with me for a second.
Taysom Hill? Gone. Jamaal Williams? Gone. Mitchell Juergens, Nick Kurtz and Jonah Trinnaman? All gone. That’s the quarterback, the school’s all-time rushing leader, and the top three receivers from 2016. How do you replace that?
It doesn’t happen over night. Nor does it happen over a winter of recruiting, a summer of working out or a fall of preparing every day for countless hours.
While receivers and running backs will need to step up and help Mangum, he’ll rely on his experienced offensive line to protect him. The Cougars have the 23rd-most combined starts among offensive line units heading into 2017 season with 85 total. They’ll need to protect Mangum, but his mobility is inferior to what the Cougar’s dealt with in Taysom Hill a season ago.
Tanner Mangum gets off to a slow start thanks to his wide receivers failing to make plays and his run game not showing up until the second half. His lone interception hurts the team, but he maintains his composure and keeps the Cougars in it. Will there be another Mangum Miracle to open another season?