BYU football: Cougars hit with more injuries, lose to Fresno State

BYU football was once again hit with injuries and the Cougars fell on the road to the Fresno State Bulldogs, 20-13. BYU is now 2-8 on the season.

There was a moment – albeit a brief one – where things appeared to be turning up for BYU football.

Squally Canada used a nifty jump cut to find his way into the end zone, and the Cougars tied the game 13-13.

Then Tanner Mangum faced pressure, started to slide to his right, and fell to the ground. Immediately he began clutching his right leg. The trainers came out and helped him to the sidelines before he was carted to the locker room alongside his parents.

At this point, there’s no way of telling what the injury is exactly. But many are speculating that its an Achilles injury. All signs point to his season being over.

So the BYU football quarterback injury curse rolls along, claiming another victim.

Beau Hoge entered the game – and BYU football fans were anxiously hoping that the same Hoge that looked so good against Utah State would take the field.

Not quite.

Instead, Hoge competed just 3-of-10 passes for 51 yards. It was pretty clear he wasn’t in much of a rhythm. But that didn’t stop Ty Detmer from calling the quarterback’s number on a 4th-and-1, when the Cougars were driving and had a chance to tie the game.

Despite Squally Canada averaging seven yards per carry, despite Brayden El-Bakri being effective in short yardage, despite Beau Hoge being a dual-threat quarterback, Detmer didn’t call a run play.

Rather, Hoge rolled right – being chased from backside pressure – and delivered a bullet of a pass. The problem? The pass didn’t make it to the open Cougar wide out. It struck the helmet of a Fresno State defender.

But alas, there was still hope. With about three minutes remaining, BYU football still had a chance. Pinned within his own five-yard line, Hoge delivered a strike to Matt Bushman for 20 yards. It was Bushman’s eighth reception of the game – a career high – but it ended as sour as could be.

As if the fumble wasn’t enough, Bushman hobbled to the sideline. There’s no indication as to what the injury might be (or the severity).

There’s only so much to be said. BYU was a 10.5-point underdog as of Saturday morning, so this was a game the Cougars should’ve lost. At least they were in it.

BYU also had 15, 14 and 11-play drives, so that’s progress.

The trouble(s)?

Receivers dropped passes left, right and center. I can’t imagine that Ben Cahoon returns next season. There’s no improvement from the receivers, so there’s no way to justify his employment.

Another issue was penalties. Despite being 10 games into the season, the Cougars still couldn’t play a clean game. Red zone penalties turned potential touchdowns into field goals, and they even managed the elusive equipment penalty when two players, both wearing No. 22, were on the field at the same time.

Next week, BYU football travels to UNLV. The Rebels are 4-5 on the season and are on a two-game winning streak.