'The hate is always louder': How Utah's Mana Carvalho turned a mistake into redemption

SALT LAKE CITY — Few people see what takes place behind the scenes.

For 3-4 hours each Saturday, fans tune in to watch their favorite college football team and the athletes who make up the roster. But should one of those players make a costly mistake, the real-world implications can sometimes be detrimental to the athlete.

Entitled individuals — many of whom have increasingly bet on college football games — vilify the athlete in public and in private, adding to what is already a difficult situation. In most cases, it's usually harmless and part of the sports-watching experience.

But not all cases.

"Well, they're getting paid, so they can take it," is often the retort from frustrated fans.

"They're basically professionals, so I'll say what I want," another may add.

In some cases, the athlete may receive death threats or various other forms of toxic statements sent through text messages or direct messages. It's an all too common hazard of being an athlete in a highly-publicized sport.

Such was the case for true freshman Mana Carvalho earlier this season in a game against rival BYU.

The Utah punt returner attempted to get to a punt that went shorter than expected, and just barely got his hands on the ball before it bounced off him, gifting the Cougars the ball and momentum in Utah territory in what eventually was another BYU win.

The singular play was a major game changer in a close game, and gave BYU the upper hand in an already tight battle on their home field.

Off the field, though, it was even more of a struggle, as relayed by teammate Ryan Davis Saturday, who said he remained a big supporter of Carvalho after the muffed punt weeks ago.

"After the BYU game, obviously, now, in today's game, freaking with people betting and stuff like that, there's a lot of hate and a lot of people mad — fans and stuff that will reach out to you and send some pretty nasty stuff," Davis said. "We play this game because we love it, and when we mess up, that's where we usually hear from those people. The hate is always louder.

"And Mana was getting hated on big time after that game. And I sat down right next to him in the locker room and I told him, 'Dude, there's going to come a point in the season coming up soon where they're going to be loving you."

Carvalho got that chance at redemption on Saturday when he returned a Cincinnati punt late in the third quarter, split defenders, and booked it to the end zone for a 75-yard score to seal a convincing victory for the Utes.

The returned score was the first from a Utah player since former receiver Britain Covey's memorable run against Oregon in 2021 that sent Rice-Eccles Stadium into a frenzy.

"So happy to see him bring it back to the house today," Davis said. "And that's just a testimony of who he is as a person. Love this dude right here."

Carvalho, who wore a permanent smile on his face in the postgame press conference, said the fumble against BYU was "in the past" and that there was nothing he could do "to get that back."

For the freshman, it was about "moving forward, and what can I do to make this program better by just being smarter back there and when it's time to return something. Then try to get as much as I can out of it and trusting in my blockers."

It all came together in a moment that flipped the script on a prior misstep and had an entire fan base "loving" Carvalho again.

The punt return was about not letting one moment define a season or career — even when outside noise can sometimes feel overwhelming — and coming back another day to fight for a chance.

And when it works, it's an opportunity to bask in the love and support of those who witnessed all the hard work to get back to a moment to be celebrated.

"The big one really put the game in the ice box on the house call, punt return," Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said. "Was a great run, great blocking, great job by everyone involved."

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