Tanner Mangum looking forward to 1st bowl game - and 1st rivalry game

As a 13-year-old kid, Tanner Mangum witnessed his first BYU-Utah game from the stands.

Now, he'll have the chance to play in a bowl game for the Cougars, against the Utes. BYU won a 33-31 thriller in the game Mangum attended.

“I was with my siblings in Cougar blue,” Mangum recalled recently. “It was a really close game and when it ended like that, we were the only ones cheering and everyone else was deflated. That was a crazy game, a fun moment. One I’ll definitely remember.”

Mangum has a flair for the dramatic, and he's certainly stoked to square off against the Utes.

“I’m pumped. I’ve grown up a huge BYU fan my whole life. I grew up watching the BYU-Utah game, so to be able to play in one is pretty special,” Mangum said. “It’s exciting to be able to do it in a bowl setting. We’ve never done that. But mentally, as far as preparation and practice, it’s still the same. It’s just another game as far as that’s concerned. It’s all about us and how we execute.”

(h/t Deseret Morning News)