PROVO — The BYU Cougars became bowl eligible Saturday night after beating the New Mexico State Aggies 45-10 at LaVell Edwards Stadium and reaching six wins. The Cougars running game finally started clicking and the defense held strong even without star Corbin Kaufusi.

The Cougars only have one more regular-season game, but we still learned plenty from their win on senior night. Here are three lessons from BYU’s win over NMSU:

A slow start won’t work against Utah

The last two weeks BYU has played inferior competition. UMass can throw the ball around and NMSU has athletes, but BYU has more depth and talent and are simply a better team. Even though the final score for both games were lopsided on the Cougars' side, the boys in blue couldn’t find a rhythm until late in the first half and started out the game trailing.

BYU has come out slow and lethargic the last two weeks. Against UMass, the Cougars fell behind early, trailing the Minutemen 10-0 in the first quarter. On Saturday, BYU trailed 7-0 in the first quarter and didn’t get on the board until there was less than a minute left in the first quarter.

Against UMass, BYU fumbled on their first play from scrimmage and then went for two touchdowns and three outs to finish the first half. On Saturday night, BYU quarterback Zach Wilson didn’t complete a pass until there was a minute left in the first quarter.

In both games, the Cougars turned on the jets and got things going to win decisively, 35-16 and 45-10, but that will not work against Utah.

BYU will head to Salt Lake City next week to take on rival Utah, and if the Cougars hope to break their losing string against the Utes, they cannot get off to a slow start. But neither the Utes nor the Cougars are known for dominating starts.

In the first quarter this season, the Utes have given up 69 points and scored 76 and have trailed heading into the second quarter in six of their games. The second quarter and second half for Utah, however, has been a different story.

On BYU’s side of the ball, the defense has also given up 69 points in the first quarter, but the offense has only managed to score 38 first-quarter points all season and have also trailed in six of their games headed into the second quarter.

If BYU hopes to beat their rival, they cannot get off to a slow start like they have all season, and particularly in the last few weeks. Even though Utah often gets off to a slow start, they know how to push on the gas after the first quarter and make teams pay for not taking advantage in the first half.

We can finally say the future looks bright

As of right now, BYU’s 2018 football schedule is looking to be just OK, which is an improvement from 2017. If BYU can defy the odds and beat Utah next week then this season will be marked as a success. But if they lose, then it will be a 6-6 season with a trip to a bowl. That's nothing to write home about, but I think it’s finally safe to say the future of BYU football looks bright.

There likely won’t be any New Year’s Six bowls in the near future, but BYU has a lot of young talent on the team. And when they start clicking, they look like a strong team. The offense has seemed to struggle the last couple of seasons, and with freshman like Wilson, Lopini Katoa, Dalin Holker and Gunner Romney, the Cougars have a chance to become dominant with more experience.

It’s been tough to say the Cougars are getting back on the right track after a disastrous 2017, but now that BYU is bowl eligible, gaining some identity on offense and finding leaders on the field the team has a chance of getting back to winning ways in the coming seasons.

If BYU could get back to eight- and 10-win seasons within in the next couple of years, Cougar nation will be smiling. And with what we’ve seen the last few weeks, that kind of progress seems very possible.

Tanner Mangum will be remembered well at BYU

The last two seasons have been tough for Tanner Mangum. Once seen as the next BYU legend, Mangum is now seen as the fifth-year senior who lost his starting job to a freshman. After being pulled halfway through the season, Mangum’s legacy at BYU seemed to be tainted.

No, he will not be remembered as one of the greats. But after watching him get a few plays in on senior night, it became apparent that BYU history will be kind to Mangum.

Despite some serious stumbles and missed expectations, there are some moments from Mangum’s tenure that will forever live in BYU lore. There is the Miracle at Memorial when a freshman Mangum came into the game against Nebraska with a helmet that looked too big and completed a Hail Mary pass to Mitch Matthews to win the game as the clock hit zeroes.

Just after that, Mangum lead the Cougars to another late bomb to Mitch Jeurgens to beat Boise State at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Fast-forward to this season and Mangum will be remembered as the QB that led a struggling BYU team to defeat No. 6 ranked Wisconsin at Camp Randall.

Mangum’s career at BYU did not turn out like fans or Mangum would have liked, but he is still responsible for some of the most entertaining and memorable BYU football moments in the last few years, and he will be a BYU legend on some level thanks to that.

As he trotted onto the field Saturday night to play in LaVell Edwards Stadium for the last time, Cougar faithful let him know they appreciate his sacrifices over the last five years as they chanted his name and cheered him on as he finished his football career in Provo.

Up next for BYU is in-state rival Utah on Saturday night. The game will be played in Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City and will kickoff at 8 p.m. MT on Fox Sports 1. John has grown up around movies and annoys friends and family with his movie facts and knowledge. John also has a passion for sports and pretty much anything awesome and it just so happens that these are the three things he writes about.

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