Weather, tight ends have standout day at BYU spring game


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PROVO — BYU football wrapped up the fan portion of spring football with its annual spring game Saturday at a rain-soaked LaVell Edwards Stadium.

Most fans left the game after the first series, but the coaches saw an offense that scored through tight end Matt Bushman, running back Kavika Fonua and Rhett Almond’s 19-yard field goal.

Quarterback Tanner Mangum threw three interceptions on a day when the offense finished with 19 points in the modified scoring system, and the conditions favored the defense.

“We were able to get a little of the run game with some live work, and running backs who can hit you pretty well,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. “I thought we had some good things and bad things; I wasn’t really happy with some of the throws that Tanner made today. But I think he has a lot of confidence in his throwing ability, and our defense did a great job of taking away a lot of looks.

“He was hurt a little today, and turned the ball over. But overall, our offense is going to be fine and we can’t wait to get to the fall.”

Mangum made 10-of-16 passes for 102 yards, three interceptions and a touchdown during the 11-on-11 team sessions. Backup quarterback Beau Hoge completed 10-of-14 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown during “skelly” drills, and Koy Detmer Jr. was 6-of-6 for 93 yards.

Even in the rain, it was still football — and BYU will take lessons from Saturday into the final week of spring camp and get ready for summer workouts.

“There are no excuses; you’ve just got to be able to play,” Mangum said. “I prefer sunny — who doesn’t? But it’s part of the game. It’s fun, no matter what, just playing football.”

Tight end Matt Bushman runs ahead of offensive lineman Thomas Shoaf during the BYU football spring practice and scrimmage at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, March 25, 2017. (Photo: Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)
Tight end Matt Bushman runs ahead of offensive lineman Thomas Shoaf during the BYU football spring practice and scrimmage at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, March 25, 2017. (Photo: Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)

Highlights

The weather

It chased several hundred fans when the clouds opened up, and there is little doubt the soggy afternoon showers dampened the afternoon affair.

The grip affected Mangum the most, and the rising junior quarterback threw three interceptions (though Butch Pau’u’s pick was waived off by a touch-sack called by the officials).

The weather affected the offense more than the defense, obviously.

“I’m used to the weather, so it didn’t really affect me,” said defensive back Chris Wilcox, who recorded an interception during 11-vs.-11 team work. “I got used to it last year.

“When I saw it was going to rain, I thought it was on the offense; not us.”

Tight end Matt Bushman

The freshman from Tucson, Arizona, caught three touchdowns, two of them during 11-on-11 sessions. Bushman, who returned from a two-year mission just six months ago, caught four passes for 105 yards and two scores, including a 65-yard score from freshman Kody Wilstead during the first tackle-football portion of the rainy day.

“He’s getting better and better with reps,” offensive coordinator Ty Detmer said of Bushman. “It was really impressive to see him run away from people right there; we hadn’t seen that because we usually tag off.

“Those are the things you look for on a day like today.”

The current BYU baseball player also flashed his third-to-home speed while the Cougars were playing at Loyola Marymount.

“I feel good,” Bushman. “I think that’s the fastest I’ve run in a while.

“I was just trying to catch the ball on a rainy day. The line did a great job protecting, and I was just fortunate to make plays.”

Bushman wasn’t the only tight end to impress. Former East High standout Joe Tukuafu caught a 47-yard pass during “skelly” and a 15-yarder that set up one of Bushman’s touchdowns during team drills.

The Cougars are still working on securing Joe Tukaufu’s release to play for BYU this season. The former Utah recruit originally signed with Utah State, and the Aggies haven’t released him from his scholarship following a mission to Argentina.

But the emphasis on the tight end was evident.

“It’s a lot of what was open,” Ty Detmer said. “It was the same defense every play, so quarterbacks start seeing openings in there. That’s where it opened up today.”

Linebacker Isaiah Kaufusi

The redshirt freshman from Cottonwood Heights forced two interceptions, and he showed much of the athleticism on defense that he did at Brighton High.

“That’s the game; just play defense and get out to the ball,” Kaufusi said. “I just had to get out underneath on the shallow route. I deepened out, and Tanner threw me the ball.”

With a redshirt season following a two-year LDS Church mission used, the boundary-side outside linebacker played well in coverage and showed a high acumen for making plays on defense.

Head coach Kalani Sitake watches the action during the BYU football spring practice and scrimmage at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, March 25, 2017. (Photo: Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)
Head coach Kalani Sitake watches the action during the BYU football spring practice and scrimmage at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, March 25, 2017. (Photo: Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)

Lowlights

Quarterback Tanner Mangum

The starting signal-caller didn’t stand out in the spring scrimmage like last year, when he was locked in a quarterback battle with Taysom Hill.

Mangum struggled with the snap, dropping several exchanges with backup center Keyan Norman, and he was picked off three times total. But he took it in stride as the starting quarterback entering his third season.

“Having a mastery of the offense also allows you to have more freedom,” Mangum said. “It allows you to make checks at the line, call more audibles and mix some things up just because you know what you are doing. That makes it fun, and I think it is what Ty wants us to have.”

It’s not all bad; much of his snap-count issues can be attributed to the rain, and Mangum took plenty of risks. Even if they didn’t always work out, it’s a sign that he is learning and taking command of the offense as he prepares for his third season at BYU.

“You know when a guy is starting to get comfortable by when they get greedy,” Ty Detmer said. “They try to manufacture big plays. That tells me he understands what he is looking at, and he is just trying to do too much.

“It’s a good thing he is there. Now we get to pull back and see what he can and cannot get away with. I expect a big season.”

The first-team defense

Defensive coordinator Ilaisa Tuiaki didn’t play most of his first-string veterans; Corbin Kaufusi and Fred Warner were among those on the sideline in street clothes during the rainy afternoon.

But Saturday wasn’t about the established vets — BYU coaches preferred to give time to young players, especially on defense, and underclassmen like Wilcox made use of his extended minutes.

“We did really good; a lot of people stepped up,” Wilcox said. “Isaiah Kaufusi getting picks, and a lot of that was going around. I think we’re going to be real good.”

The field

It’s never ideal to play football in a downpour, and the field at LaVell Edwards Stadium was chewed up by the end of the afternoon with extensive pools of water formed on the edges.

That’s bad for aesthetics, but even worse — the weather and field conditions make avoiding injuries more difficult. Offensive players were carted off the field on consecutive plays on the final drive, which ended with Kavika Fonua scoring from 5 yards out.

That seemed to signal that it was time to go home — and everyone agreed.

“When we played Wyoming, Tanner mentioned how slippery it was and it was hard to throw in the rain,” Kaufusi said. “There were so many factors that affect us less, and this rain is it especially.”

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