Saturday Blitz
Fansided

BYU vs Portland State: Live highlights, top performers and more

By Matthew Bartlett

PROVO, UT - NOVEMBER 12: General view of LaVell Edwards Stadium during the game between the Southern Utah Thunderbirds and the Brigham Young Cougars on November 12, 2016 in Provo Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
PROVO, UT - NOVEMBER 12: General view of LaVell Edwards Stadium during the game between the Southern Utah Thunderbirds and the Brigham Young Cougars on November 12, 2016 in Provo Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /
facebooktwitterreddit

Saturday afternoon’s BYU vs Portland State game is one of the first of the season and the Cougars are looking to get off to a strong start.

Tanner Mangum got his first career start in a season opener for BYU on Saturday afternoon against Portland State. He takes the reigns of a BYU offense with lofty expectations in 2017. The loss of former starting quarterback Taysom Hill will be mitigated thanks to the wealth of experience that Mangum saw while Hill was injured throughout his career.

Portland state enters the game with low expectations. It will be considered a moral victory if the Vikings are still in the game at halftime, but that’s why the play the game isn’t it? Crazier things have happened. After all,  Portland State upset Washington State in 2015 so the Vikings are no stranger to making their voice heard against some FBS teams.

The Vikings also defeated North Texas in 2015. They have four victories over FBS teams in their program’s history. BYU has more talent and depth and should handle the Vikings easily. Look for a steady dose of Squally Canada on the ground and a suffocated Cougar defense to rule the dale. Stay tuned here for live updates throughout the game.

Three Stars

  1. Squally Canada – He had a relatively quiet day save for one big play and a goal line plunge finishing with 16 carries for 98 yards and one touchdown
  2. Sione Takitaki – The leader of the defensive front that shut down the Viking offense. Takitaki registered two sacks
  3. Matt Bushman – Bushman caught three passes for 56 yards and looks like he might be a nice safety blanket for Tanner Mangum this season

Highlights

Not much working on offense for either team so far. Some burst here and there, but no consistency.

Play action doesn’t fool Portland State, but freshman Matt Bushman snags the ball out of the air in traffic. The Cougars capitalize on the drive by punching it into the endzone on third down.

Second Half

We’re under way in the second half, but BYU gets off to a rough start. Long carry by Fonua is called back on a holding penalty. Mangum finds Bushman again to move the chains and get the Cougars across midfield.

Next: College Football: Top 50 breakout candidates for 2017

BYU returns the favor and turns it over on downs on their next possession. 32 yard field goal attempt is wide left. Vikings ball.

What’s Next?

BYU will face off against SEC foe LSU in Houston, Texas, next Saturday. That will be a much better measuring stick of this team’s skill level. Portland State will face off against Oregon State on the road.

Home/BYU Cougars