This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Well, that didn't last long. Just when it appeared that the Fight Hunger Bowl on Dec. 27 in San Francisco would pit Washington coach Steve Sarkisian against his former college team, BYU, Sarkisian accepted the USC job on Monday, according to various reports. So, it looks like the Cougars will be facing a team with an interim coach two days after Christmas at AT&T Park, just like they did in the Las Vegas Bowl in 2007 when they faced UCLA. That will be the case if the Cougars draw USC as well, obviously. There won't be much football news coming out of BYU the next few weeks, as you can read in this look-ahead piece in Monday's newspaper. Monday brought word that BYU sophomore running back Jamaal Williams was named the FBS Independent Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season. Williams carried the ball 15 times for 219 yards and a touchdown in BYU's 28-23 win over Nevada. The native of Fontana, Calif., has now rushed for 1,202 yards this season, eclipsing the 1,000-yard barrier for the first time in his career. Williams has moved up to No. 10 on the school's career rushing yardage list, with 2,016. He has rushed for more than 100 yards in five games this season, eight games in his career. "I am happy I got to it, and am thankful to my line for getting me over 1,000 yards," Williams said Saturday. "It is a great milestone for me, and now my next milestone is to get to 1,500. … Team goals come before my goals, but at the end of the day, I am happy I got over 1,000." Last week, we reported that BYU defensive coordinator Nick Howell was a candidate for the 2013 Broyles Award, which goes to the top assistant coach in college football. Monday, the selection committee chose five finalists, but Howell did not make the cut. The finalists are Auburn OC Rhett Lashlee, Baylor OC Phillip Montgomery, Duke OC Kurt Roper, Florida State DC Jeremy Pruitt and Michigan State DC Pat Narduzzi.