Max Hall is No. 5 in my ranking of BYU quarterbacks since the program’s passing era began in 1973, mainly because his school-record 32 victories as a starting QB likely never will be touched.
Hall fits between Robbie Bosco and Marc Wilson, the quarterbacks whose No. 6 jerseys will be retired (along with running back Luke Staley’s) on Saturday when the Cougars host Wisconsin.
Hall’s career ended in 2009, but impact has lasted well into this decade for the wrong reasons. The Cougars are dealing with the Max Hall Curse in multiple ways, since his last appearance at LaVell Edwards Stadium concluded with a legendary anti-Utah rant. The Cougars haven’t beaten Utah since that night, and they’ve made it through only one season with the same QB.
Beau Hoge will become BYU’s eighth fill-in starter due to injury in eight seasons, after Hall played in all 39 games in three years in Provo. Tanner Mangum’s ankle injury (sustained on the game’s final play in a loss to Utah) is the latest setback, forcing Hoge into the lineup against the No. 10 Badgers and possibly for a few more games.
Wisconsin clearly is the most daunting opponent that any of BYU’s second-string quarterbacks has been promoted to face in his first start of the season in this decade. Counting two appearances each for Jake Heaps and Tanner Mangum, the replacements have gone 5-2 with losses to Nevada and Central Florida.
Here’s the year-by-year account:
2010 • Nevada 27, BYU 13: As a freshman, Heaps alternated with Riley Nelson early in the season, although Nelson was given the full-time job before being injured at Florida State. Heaps went 24 of 45 for 229 yards, playing about as well as Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick, but the Cougars produced only one touchdown.
2011 • BYU 42, New Mexico State 7: Having lost his job to Nelson in early October, Heaps started what would be his final game as a Cougar in late November when Nelson was injured. He passed for 238 yards and four TDs, then transferred to Kansas.
2012 • BYU 47, Hawaii 0: Taysom Hill replaced an injured Nelson and totaled 255 yards of running and passing. He would be lost for the season the following week, near the end of a win over Utah State.
2012 • BYU 50, New Mexico State 14: Nelson came back, then was hurt again late in the year. James Lark got to play against the lowly Aggies and went 34 of 50 for 384 yards and six touchdowns.
2014 • UCF 31, BYU 24 (OT): Hill made it through 2013 healthy, the only time he did so in five seasons. In October 2014, Christian Stewart replaced him against the Knights in Orlando and passed for 153 yards and three touchdowns, but the Cougars lost a 24-10 lead in regulation and couldn’t score in overtime.
2015 • BYU 35, Boise State 24: Mangum’s first start after Hill’s injury in the season opener came against his hometown school, and he delivered a go-ahead touchdown pass in the last minute (Kai Nacua added an interception-return TD). Mangum finished 17 of 28 for 309 yards and two scores.
2016 • BYU 24, Wyoming 21: In the rainy Poinsettia Bowl, after Hill was hurt against Utah State for the the third time in his career, Mangum passed for 96 yards and a touchdown.
Hoge faces a tough challenge Saturday, with the potential to play against Utah State, Boise State and Mississippi State by mid-October. He’ll wear No. 7, the number Hill took from him last season as Hill honored his late brother, on a day when the Cougars retire No. 6 for Wilson, Bosco and Staley.
So where do Bosco and Wilson rank among BYU’s QBs? In 2012, going into the 40th season of BYU’s passing offense, I judged all 45 quarterbacks who had thrown passes in that era. Here’s how that list looked:
No. 1, Jim McMahon. No. 2, Ty Detmer. No. 3, Steve Young. No. 4, Bosco. No. 5, Hall. No. 6, Wilson. No. 7, Steve Sarkisian. No. 8, John Beck. No. 9, Gifford Nielsen. No. 10, Gary Sheide.
Now, in the 45h year of the passing era, 52 quarterbacks have thrown passes. And I’ve updated the rankings with Hill at No. 7 – giving him credit for a 23-10 record and his skills beyond throwing the football. We’ll see how much Hoge resembles him, as a runner and passer. In 2013, Hill’s team lost 27-17 at Wisconsin.