Winning a game against a quality Power Five opponent is normally an emotional experience. For Bronco Mendenhall and his BYU team, yesterday's win over Nebraska was especially emotional.
Mendenhall's reaction to the Hail Mary sums up those emotions quite well.
After the game, Mendenhall handed out three game balls one of which went to do-everything quarterback Taysom Hilll, who suffered a serious injury for the third consecutive season, this time in the fourth quarter of action Saturday. Hill missed most of the 2012 season, and the last eight games last year with a knee injury. In the second quarter against Nebraska Saturday, he injured his foot on a touchdown run, and returned three plays later, but in the fourth quarter, after taking a hit, he left the game and didn't come back in. His final stat line included 360 yards of total offense, two touchdowns through the air, and one on the ground. Backup quarterback Tanner Mangum was the one who completed the 42-yard Hail Mary to win the game, but it was Hill who was on Mendenhall's mind after the game. "There is no one that I respect more that I've ever coached, or just as a person. So we'll do what we can to help." he explained to his team, fighting back tears.