Cody rocks in BYU win

Wideout has 162 yards and a score in Cougar victory

Former Del Norte Warrior Cody Hoffman runs down the field Saturday against Oregon State. The BYU sophomore had 162 yards in the 38-28 win. Photo courtesy of Roger Schultz /Hot Shots Photography

Hoffman, the 2009 Del Norte High graduate and Brigham University sophomore wide receiver, played lights out in the Cougars 38-28 victory in Corvallis, Ore., in front of more than 42,000 people at Reser Stadium.

Hoffman caught nine passes for a career high 162 yards and a score from 12 yards out. A highlight was a 46-yard catch that had the crowd gasping with the craftsmanship and football skill it took to bring it down.

After the game, Hoffman calmy ran off the field as people shouted to him. This included some fans wearing OSU jerseys, who stretched out their hands as he went by, hoping to get a high-five from him. “Nice game,” one of them shouted.

As he was about to exit the stadium a woman coming down an escalator shouted to Hoffman that he had a good game.

Hoffman admitted it was a contest that he really wanted to do well in.

After all, there were more than 200 fans who came up from Crescent City to see him play.

Hoffman wanted to play for OSU but did not get an offer to join the team. The Beavers showed some interest in him his junior year before stopping contact with him by his senior year.

 To this day, Hoffman said he is unclear as to the reasons for this.

Because of what he feels was a slight on the Beavers part, he said that he wanted to show what they missed out on with his play on the football field.

“I came in with a chip on my shoulder,” Hoffman said. “I just wanted to show what I could do.”

“In OSU recruiting, Hoffman is one that got away –– and one that came back to bite the Beavers,” said a story in The Oregonian of Portland, Ore.

Cougar head coach Bronco Mendenhall was quite pleased with how the Cougars played and called it the best offensive output he had seen from his team this year. The Cougars had more than 500 yards of offense.

“That’s the closest we’ve been offensively,” he said.

Mendenhall praised Hoffman for his play.

“I was very impressed today with Cody Hoffman,” he said. “He made some critical plays and catches in the pass game.”

 Riley Nelson, the Cougars starting quarterback, raved about Hoffman after the contest.

He’s a quarterback’s dream because you don’t have to make the perfect throw,” Nelson said.  “If you put it in the general area, he’ll go up and get it.”

Nelson was a roommate of Cody’s last year and said that knowing Hoffman off the field and forming a friendship with him has helped on the field.  He added that it has given a “more personal aspect to it.”

“I consider Cody a great friend, even a brother,” he said.

A catch that Hoffman made that had everyone talking occurred on a deep pass down the left side of the field.

 On this catch, good for 46 yards, Hoffman was fairly well covered but grabbed the ball as it bobbled for a moment in his hands. He fell on his back to the ground and maintained control for the nifty grab.

“I had my hands on it and I pulled it down,” he said. Hoffman  had to concentrate fully the whole time, making sure the ball would safely land in his arms and not pop out, he said.

When a reporter at the post game news conference said that the catch reminded him of something Pittsburgh Steelers great Lynn Swann would have made, Hoffman just gave a sheepish, almost embarrassed smile.

For the season, Hoffman has 28 catches for 420 yards and two catches for touchdowns. He also is the starting kick returner and had a 93-yard return for a touchdown earlier this year against Central Florida. BYU improved to 5-1 for the year and is on a four game winning streak. OSU fell to 1-5.

Nelson had a strong day for the Cougars and dazzled with both his arm and feet, throwing for 217 yards and three touchdowns and running for 87 yards to lead BYU over Oregon State.

Nelson’s mobility helped keep the Oregon State defense on edge.

“I just run the way I do because I don’t know how to do it otherwise,” Nelson said.

Sean Mannion was 27 of 43 passing for 306 yards for Oregon State but was intercepted twice, bringing his season total to nine. Markus Wheaton had eight catches for 104 yards for the Beavers.

Nelson replaced Jake Heaps in the middle of a 27-24 win over Utah State on Sept. 30 and has won three in a row as a starter.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.