BYU turns ball over on first five Las Vegas Bowl possessions
The first quarter of the Las Vegas Bowl was an abject disaster for BYU.
The Cougars' first five possessions resulted in five turnovers. Three of the turnovers were interceptions and the first and fifth were fumbles.
Each turnover resulted in a Utah touchdown, too. After Utah quarterback Travis Wilson ran into the end zone to make the Utah lead 35-0, ESPN announcer Brent Musburger quipped "I really feel sorry for my Mormon friends at BYU, they don't drink. This game would drive you to it."
Here's a detailed look of all five turnovers. BYU's sixth possession of the game went a bit better. It resulted in a missed field goal. The Cougars trailed after the first quarter 35-0. The deficit proved to be insurmountable as well. BYU scored 28 points in the final three quarters while shutting out Utah to lose 35-28.
First possession: On the third play of the drive, BYU quarterback Tanner Mangum is sacked and fumbles at the BYU 25. Utah scores six plays later. 7-0, Utah.
Second possession: Mangum's pass – the first of the drive – is deflected and pops straight into the air. Utah's Tevin Carter catches it and returns it 28 yards for a score. 14-0.
Third possession: BYU gets a first down, but Mangum throws another interception after his pass is deflected at the line of scrimmage. Carter gets the pick again and returns it to the 1. Utah scores a play later. 21-0.
Fourth possession: Mangum throws his third pick on the fourth play of the drive. Dominique Hatfield returns it 46 yards for the touchdown. 28-0.
Fifth possession: Mangum's handoff to running back Squally Canada isn't clean. Canada drops the ball as he heads into the line. It's recovered by Utah. Wilson scores from 20 yards out five plays later. 35-0.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
