defenseman Darnell Nurse could miss up to three months following ankle surgery. | Forum

Most college football players are winding down their season in mid-December, but Tanner Mangum is just starting his campaign. Chad Kuhl Pirates Jersey .The sophomore is back as Brigham Youngs starting quarterback after senior Taysom Hill was lost with a left elbow injury in the regular-season finale. Hills misfortune places Mangum squarely into the action when the Cougars face Wyoming in the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego on Wednesday (9 p.m. ET, ESPN).It was another injury to Hill that opened the door for Mangum to be a starter in 2015 and he was more than up to the task. Mangum passed for 3,337 yards and 23 touchdowns -- both school records for a freshman -- and developed cult status by throwing winning last-minute touchdown passes in both his first appearance (against Nebraska) and first start (Boise State).Yet despite the solid campaign, Mangum found himself watching from the sidelines this season after Hill regained his starting job in a tightly contested competition.It was a test for me to keep that long-term perspective, Mangum recently told reporters. While youre going through that, it can be tough to see that. It can be tough as a competitor wanting to compete. But you have to learn how to be a teammate and learn how to support your teammates and be there for them through the ups and the downs.Mangum tossed only 18 passes this season -- completing 14 -- so there is the matter of shaking off the rust.He said he doesnt foresee that to be an issue as the Cougars (8-4) have had ample time to prepare for the Cowboys (8-5).I feel good. I feel confident, Mangum said. Itll also be good to have a couple weeks of practice to get all the reps, be able to sharpen up and get polished before the game. Im feeling strong, confident and healthy.The Cougars are feeling good about themselves in general as they enter the contest with four straight victories and seven of their past eight games.They will see a familiar sight in Wyoming, a program that was always in the same conference as the Cougars from 1922-2010 before BYU departed the Mountain West to become an independent.It will be the 78th all-time meeting -- BYU leads 44-30-3 -- and the Cowboys are learning that their fan base would relish a victory over their former conference rivals.Obviously, we know it is a very good opponent, senior center Chase Roullier said. You can see that in film and through the record as well. You hear about the history between these two teams, whether it be teammates from Wyoming that seen it in the past or just things that you read.... We understand the importance of who this opponent is. But when it comes down to it, it is just another opponent for us that is in our way and we need to take them down.Wyoming is playing in a bowl game for the first time since 2011 and is a revitalized program under third-year coach Craig Bohl.Sophomore quarterback Josh Allen passed for 2,996 yards and 26 touchdowns -- he was intercepted 13 times -- but the player who makes the offense go is junior running back Brian Hill.Hill ranks fourth in the nation with 1,767 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns and could be playing in his final game for the school. He is considering applying for the NFL draft but wont make a decision until after the bowl game.Anything that has to do with it, it gets pushed back to someone else, Hill told reporters. Agents contacting me, I sent them to my mom. I just dont feel like its fair to focus on the future while I have business to take care of here right now.BYU has a solid running back of its own in senior Jamaal Williams, who rushed for 1,165 yards and 11 touchdowns. Williams rushed for 131 yards in the regular-season finale against Utah State after missing three of the previous four games with an ankle injury.The Cougars defense is led by senior safety Kai Nacua, who has five interceptions this season and 13 in his career. Senior outside linebacker Sae Tautu posted a team-best six sacks.Sophomore free safety Andrew Wingard heads the Cowboys defense and recorded a team-high 128 tackles. Bill Mazeroski JerseyCustom Pittsburgh Pirates Jerseys . "Jeff is a hard worker who was an important special-teams contributor for us last season," said Stamps GM John Hufnagel. http://www.pittsburghpiratesprostore.us/Josh-Bell-pirates-jersey/ . Cote was eligible to become a free agent Feb. 15. Cote helped running back Jon Cornish run for a league-high 1,813 rushing yards en route to being named the leagues most outstanding player. EDMONTON, Alberta -- The Columbus Blue Jackets started slowly. The way they finished was all that mattered, though.Sam Gagner had a goal and an assist, and the streaking Blue Jackets won their seventh straight game by beating the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 on Tuesday night.I thought the team took a little while to get going. But once we started playing, I thought we had a good second half of the game, Gagner said. I think were on a good run here and we want to keep pushing forward.Cam Atkinson and Matt Calvert also scored to help the Blue Jackets (18-5-4) improve to 8-0-1 in their last nine games.Tyler Pitlick had the goal for the Oilers (15-12-5), who have lost five of six.The Oilers got a 4-minute power play to start the second period on a mistaken call after Edmonton forward Milan Lucic accidentally caught teammate Connor McDavid in the face with his stick.Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who made 33 saves, squashed Edmontons opportunity to take a two-goal lead, and Columbus went on to score three consecutive goals.You do get some momentum from killing it, Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. I dont think we panicked. I didnt think we competed that hard in the first period, but then we found ourselves.It was Edmontons 32nd game of the season compared to 27 for Columbus, but Lucic said fatigue wasnt a valid excuse.We had more than enough rest over the last two days to be ready for this one, he said. We had the energy we wanted in the first period, but we just couldnt sustain it. We just didnt keep it going for 60 minutes and thats a big reason we lost.Edmonton got on the scoreboard first, just past the midpoint of the opening period as a hard-charging Pitlick got to a rebound in the blue paint and chipped it over Bobrovsky.. Jameson Taillon Jersey. .The Oilers appeared to add another with 4 minutes left in the first, but officials determined forward Zack Kassian interfered with the goalie on the play.Columbus tied the game on a power play 8 minutes into the second period when Gagner came back to hurt his old team. The puck went off the toe of his skate and past Edmonton goalie Cam Talbot for Gagners fourth goal in the last four games and 12th of the season.The Blue Jackets made it 2-1 at 7:10 of the third as a pass deflected to Atkinson and he hammered his 11th of the season past Talbot.Columbus added to its lead 1:36 later when Calvert took advantage of a sloppy Oilers line change and rifled a shot off Talbots arm and into the net.The Blue Jackets completely took over in the third and were outshooting Edmonton 12-0 midway through the period.Coming from behind on a team like that, a lot of teams in the league havent been able to do that. And you can put us on the list as well, Oilers coach Todd McLellan said.Game notes It was the first of two meetings between the teams this season. The other one is Jan. 3 in Columbus. ... Oilers D Brandon Davidson played his first game since injuring his shoulder in the season opener Oct. 12 against Calgary. That was good news for Edmonton, which announced that fellow defenseman Darnell Nurse could miss up to three months following ankle surgery. ... Columbus captain Nick Foligno returned to the lineup after missing two games with the flu.UP NEXTBlue Jackets: Play at Calgary on Friday, the second game of a three-game road swing through Western Canada.Oilers: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday. ' ' '