Wisconsin football: 3 bold predictions for Week 3 at BYU

2. Tanner Mangum will not play against Wisconsin on Saturday

Last week, BYU quarterback Tanner Mangum suffered a left-ankle sprain late in the Holy War loss at home to Utah. Even had he not been injured, though, Mangum just was not playing well to begin 2017. The Cougars coaching staff would have been wise to sit Mangum on Saturday against the Badgers before Utah made their decision for them.

Two years ago, Mangum was thrust into the starting role after Taysom Hill was injured for a second straight season. Then a freshman, Mangum came into the game against Nebraska and responded by throwing a game-winning Hail Mary. In his first college start, Mangum completed 17-of-28 for 309 yards and two scores — the last another late bomb — to beat Boise State.

The two games turned Mangum into an instant BYU legend. That is no small feat at a school that has had stars aplenty at quarterback. But he also went through the ups and downs that are natural for any college rookie. Once Hill came back for another crack at a final season in 2016, Mangum took a seat once again. Since the starting job has become Mangum’s to lose, though, the quarterback has seemed to do everything in his power to return to the bench.

Mangum will sit because his ankle still isn’t fit enough for game action. But he might have seen the pine anyway given the state of his play this year. The once-prolific quarterback has failed to top even 200 passing yards in a game so far this year — not even against FCS Portland State, the Cougars’ lone win to date. A completion rate under 55 percent and twice as many interceptions as touchdowns would have sent any non-legend to the bench well before he could get injured.