Estimated read time: 5-6 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 Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information.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 — BYU defensive end Harvey Langi stopped midsentence after making his debut at fullback for the 2016 Cougar football team.
Who was the thunder? Who was the lightning? He and fellow running back KJ Hall, who ran for 101 yards and a touchdown in his first career start, had it all planned out.
He may have made a big mistake.
“He’s the shake-n-bake, and I’m the …” Langi began, before stopping, “Oh, I should’ve trucked more. I took flight, more like a Delta airplane, but whatever. KJ is awesome. I love playing with KJ.”
Such was the case with Langi. Although the appearance of the former Bingham High all-state running back and 2010 Army All-American Bowl selection in BYU's 51-9 win over UMass Saturday wasn't his debut in the Cougar offensive backfield, it was his most productive game on the ground.
Langi ran for 56 yards on 14 carries, an average of 4.0 yards per carry as a blocking back he also became BYU’s No. 2 rushing option in the absence of Jamaal Williams, Squally Canada and Algie Brown.
He also scored his first career rushing touchdown, barreling in from 5 yards out with 5:22 left in the first half to stake a 14-9 lead at the break. Then, with 7:18 on the clock in the third quarter, Langi doubled his career rushing tally with a 2-yard score that pulled BYU (7-4) away from the Minutemen (2-9).
Langi had found his niche in the BYU backfield, and it came just in time. Like riding a bicycle, he found he could still reach the pedals on a rushing machine that helped Bingham win back-to-back Class 5A state championships and solidify a scholarship at Utah.
“This bike was more powerful, and it giddies up a little quicker than the high school one,” said Langi, who now stands at 6-foot-3, 252 pounds, about 15 more than when he graduated from high school. “I started getting more used to it as the reps went on, but it was crazy. It was fun.”
Watching Langi run up and down the field against UMass was fun for a lot of people, including his teammates. Francis Bernard was a former two-way standout at Herriman High, and he had flashbacks to when he would look up at Bingham’s Langi and see one of the more powerful rushers in state history who racked up 4,289 yards and 55 touchdowns.
“It reminded me of watching him in high school,” Bernard said, before joking, “If he were 15 pounds lighter, he could move like the old Harvey, too.”
The weight isn’t a concern for Langi. He’s added bulk to be able to fill in at defensive end for BYU will maintaining his instincts as a middle linebacker alongside Butch Pau’u. Besides, a heavier running back is just called a fullback, but BYU head coach Kalani Sitake isn’t afraid to let the bigger backs tote the rock.
So last Monday, when Williams and Canada were hurt and Brown was limited in practice, he told Langi to put on a navy blue practice jersey work out with the offense. He thought about alerting the media, but offensive coordinator Ty Detmer wouldn’t allow it — or so Sitake said in the way he casually chides the press.
“He’s a natural at that position, and he’s really heavy, so he’s difficult to stop,” Sitake said of Langi. “He’s a good complement to what we have at running back. If I were to guess right now, I’d think you’d probably see him on both sides. We’ll see what happens.”
Langi’s newfound skill set complemented BYU’s other main back Saturday afternoon, KJ Hall. The son of former BYU standout Kalin Hall was a scout team running back before last week’s 37-7 win over Southern Utah, when he was activated to fill in behind a limited Canada.
BYU 51, UMass 9
Langi, Hall help BYU overcome sluggish start to pull away from UMass
Harvey Langi ran for 56 yards and two touchdowns, and KJ Hall added 101 yards and a score as BYU pulled away from UMass, 51-9 to earn its seventh win of the season Saturday afternoon at LaVell Edwards Stadium.The 5-9, 175-pound redshirt freshman impressed coaches such with 110 total yards and a touchdown that they gave him another shot.
“KJ is playing really well right now, too,” Sitake said. “He’s a good back for us, and gives us something that we don’t have (elsewhere).”
They just needed to add someone with a little bulk next to him. That’s where Langi came in, and the senior and freshman struck up a friendship.
“We were talking each other up on the sideline, getting each other excited,” Hall said of Langi. “We had a goal to get at least 50 yards each quarter. I think Harvey did an amazing job today. He hadn’t taken any snaps until this week and killed it. It was fun to watch.”
Shake and bake. Thunder and lightning. Big back and little back. Whatever you call it, Langi and Hall made it work Saturday, combining for 157 of BYU’s 247 rushing yards with three touchdowns.
The duo may be called upon again, or Langi may return to the defensive side of the ball. Hall will stay at running back, whether on the full roster or the scout team.
Either way, the tandem proved they can work well together.
“It was fun,” Hall said. “The offensive line did an amazing job. The coaching staff mixed it up, and I think we just physically had a really good game.”
