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PASADENA, Calif. — BYU's hopes of an undefeated season were lost Saturday night in a 24-23 loss at then-No. 10 UCLA.
The Cougars (2-1) dropped from the USA Today Coaches' Poll with the loss. But what they found may be greater than a number next to their school name.
Harvey Langi, the middle linebacker who has burst on the scene as a junior, found a way to make an impact on the field — on both sides of the ball.
The junior became the first BYU defensive player to go both ways since defensive end Jan Jorgensen carried the ball for BYU in the 2009 Las Vegas Bowl. But the former standout running back at Bingham High is more than a trick play, and he finished with a career-high eight tackles, two interceptions, a pass breakup and two carries for 8 yards — both of them going for first downs.
He also helped solidify a Cougar rushing attack that was missing starting tailback Algie Brown with a knee injury, and the players rallied around his appearance in the offensive huddle.
Langi was not made available to the media following Saturday night's game. But his teammates and coaches raved about his role playing two ways.
"I loved it. We installed that this week, and we liked it," quarterback Tanner Mangum said of Langi joining the offense. "He's a hard runner, a fierce competitor, and I loved seeing him in there. I gave him the rock and let him go get the first down.
"He did well; the two times he ran it, he got the first down. It was a good addition."
Langi's role likely won't be as an every-down back on offense; he has enough to worry about leading the defense at linebacker. But with the emergence of Adam Hine, who had 149 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries at UCLA, the situational, short-yardage runner gives BYU another option in a run game that was stagnant for most of the first two games of the season.
"He's doing a really nice job," BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said of Hine. "I think he's just continuing to build momentum and confidence. He was a little bit injured over the summer, so he didn't have as diligent of a summer. It's just taken him a little bit of time from fall camp till now for him to come into his own.
"He's doing a really nice job, though. I'm impressed."
Langi's quick transition to tailback owes to his former all-state running back status in high school. He originally committed to the University of Utah out of high school — to play offense — before transferring to BYU following a two-year LDS Church mission to Tampa, Florida, and making the move to linebacker.
"Knowing that we were going to pound on Adam all night, I felt that Harvey could give us something in the run game," BYU offensive coordinator Robert Anae said. "Boy, I sure wish the blocking were a little better for him. But he mashed through and got a huge first down (on his first touch).
"I have a lot of respect for Harvey, jumping in and doing that for the team."
Mendenhall expects Brown to be healthy by BYU's game next Saturday at Michigan. But if not (or even if he is), the Cougars found another option to bolster a run game still searching for a new identity after the sudden offseason departure of Jamaal Williams.
"Harvey Langi … between interceptions and running the football and short yardage, I thought he was fantastic," Mendenhall said.
