Provo • This isn’t the Utah offense that the BYU Cougars thought they were going to see.
When the Utes roll into LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday night (8:15 p.m., ESPN2) for the annual rivalry game, their offense will be noticeably different than the one BYU defenders prepared to face last spring.
Most notably, Utah has a new offensive coordinator — Eastern Washington’s Troy Taylor — and added Darren Carrington, an all-conference receiver who was kicked out of Oregon after a DUI arrest. Also Washington transfer Troy Williams, who led the Utes to a 20-19 win over BYU last year at Rice-Eccles, lost the starting quarterback job to Tyler Huntley, a sophomore.
“I watched all of the last Utah game [against North Dakota],” BYU linebacker Fred Warner said. “They are going to do a lot of different formations on offense. They have a lot of guys personnel-wise who are capable of big plays. They have a new quarterback who can use his legs really well, receivers who obviously make plays, a good running back. We have to make sure that we have our eyes in the right area and we are all doing our job. That’s what is important.”
The presence of Carrington alone changes Utah’s offense, Warner and fellow linebacker Matt Hadley said.
UTAH AT BYU <br>When • 8:15 p.m. Saturday <br>Where • LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo <br>TV • ESPN
“He is an athlete. I mean, he is going to help contribute,” Hadley said after watching Carrington catch 10 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown in Utah’s opener. “Yeah, he is a great player.”
BYU defensive coordinator Ilaisa Tuiaki said Huntley is faster and more elusive than any quarterback the Cougars have faced since the coaching change and Carrington has excellent ball skills to go with Pac-12 speed.
“It is different than last week [against LSU],” Tuiaki said. “The challenge this week is speed and space. I think what their offense is trying to do is get a lot of their skill players in open spaces and make you miss tackles. So a little bit different of a challenge.”
Hard lesson for Hannemann
(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brigham Young Cougars wide receiver Talon Shumway (21) makes a catch over Portland State Vikings cornerback Chris Seisay (9) during the game at LaVell Edwards Stadium Saturday, August 26, 2017.
Senior safety Micah Hannemann committed his second targeting penalty in three games Saturday against LSU and will have to sit out the first half of the rivalry game. Hannemann said he knows the rule well, but remembering it when he’s trying to take down a ball-carrier like LSU’s Derrius Guice isn’t easy.
“I definitely have to make some adjustments now because I am not trying to do it on purpose,” he said. “I am running full speed at the guy, and he is running full speed, too. I need to keep my head up, and I feel like if I had wrapped up, the call wouldn’t have happened. … It needs to be a perfect tackle.”
From the epicenter of rivalry
Although he played for Lone Peak High, BYU receiver Talon Shumway lived in South Jordan, the southwestern Salt Lake County town The Salt Lake Tribune identified in 2012 as the “epicenter” of the BYU-Utah rivalry.
“It is a good thing. I like it,” Shumway said about the rivalry. “I don’t see it as an angry rivalry where we hate each other or anything. I think it is great for the state and for fans on both sides. It is always an exciting game and the atmosphere is always good. I grew up watching it, obviously, and I was always on BYU’s side. I think it is a sweet rivalry.”
