Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PROVO — Kesni Tausinga doesn’t remember the play, or even the result, but he remembers the feeling.
It came on a big defensive stand, that he knows; a third-down stop, a goal-line stand, or holding the opponent to a field goal.
But most important was the roar of the BYU-friendly crowd after the play, he added — and that it came during BYU’s 31-21 win at UNLV last Saturday.
“Our fans have been amazing through this whole thing,” said Tausinga, one of 18 seniors who will be honored at BYU’s final home game Saturday against UMass (1 p.m. MT, BYUtv/KSL Newsradio). “I feel a lot of love from our fans. Even though we’ve dropped a lot of games this year, I’ve been surprised by our fans — especially down in Vegas. I was surprised, and thought we might have more fans than they did.”
Those are the moments Tausinga will remember through his final season with the Cougars. Not the career-high seven tackles he made at Mississippi State, the pass breakup, or the quarterback hurry.
It won’t even be the dropped interception he had in 2017 — one that, if it happens again, he swears he will “retire immediately.”
No, Tausinga’s greatest memories will come from running out of the tunnel with teammates like Fred Warner, Handsome Tanielu, Va’a Niumatalolo and the other seniors in front of 60,000 fans at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
“During those big stops, it was crazy how loud they got — and those moments really stick with you,” Tausinga said. “I don’t remember a lot of the specific plays that happened, but I remember those feelings.”
The Cougars plan to honor 18 seniors during a pregame ceremony Saturday at 1 p.m. MT, though not every player will definitely leave after the season. Linebacker Matt Hadley, who was injured in the middle of the season, is currently petitioning the NCAA to gain a medical redshirt for the 2017 season after season-ending knee surgery, according to defensive coordinator Ilaisa Tuiaki.
“We want to get the program headed in the right direction, and not just for the seniors, but for those people who still root for us,” Tuiaki said. “With our record being so bad, I thought there would be 12 people out (in the stands). But people keep showing up … and I know that means a lot to them.”
Through five home games and the program’s worst winless streak since 1968, the Cougars have averaged 57,249 fans at the 65,000-seat stadium.
No, BYU’s season hasn’t gone according to plan — and that’s putting it lightly. The Cougars are 3-8 in 2017, assured of finishing with the program’s first losing season since 2004. They've lost two quarterbacks to season-ending injuries, are playing a walk-on true freshman in Joe Critchlow, and have put five players under center while averaging just 16.5 points per game.
But with two games remaining on the schedule, no senior has quit on the team, coaches said unanimously. That includes team captain Fred Warner, who has led BYU in tackles for back-to-back seasons that include 77 stops, nine tackles for loss and an interception this year.
With a surprise win over the Rebels, the Cougars are also confident they can end the home season with a strong note, sending the Class of 2017 off with a win.
“We want to go out the right way, and not going to a bowl game finally sunk in for everybody,” Tuiaki said. “I’m excited for them to play their last game here; it’s special to play in this stadium, and I’m excited for the seniors to get their last go at it.”
The Class of 2017 could’ve hung their heads, mailed it in, or let their emotions force them away from the team after a disastrous start that included a historic eight-game losing streak. Some, like Warner or center Tejan Koroma, still have a chance at an NFL career, after all.
“There have been highs and lows. But you can’t really enjoy the good times unless you face some adversity,” Warner said. “You never think you will have a coaching change, but we did. We didn’t think we’d have a season like this year, but we did.
“But every week, we come out and still play hard. I wouldn’t take it back for anything.”
Like Warner, none of BYU’s seniors have given up on the team, offensive coordinator Ty Detmer said — which reveals more about their character than any amount of wins ever will.
“The effort and their pride in their own personal play, and how they’ve carried themselves, has been impressive,” Detmer added. “They haven’t hung their heads.
“Tough times reveal your character, and they’ve done a great job of being high-character guys.”
