A vulgar chant marred an otherwise momentous victory for Oregon during Saturday’s game against BYU. Amid the Ducks’ 41–20 win over the Cougars at Autzen Stadium, yells of “f— the Mormons” rained down onto the field from the school’s student section.
Now, the actions of the individuals responsible for the chants may have had a negative impact on recruiting a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
High school quarterback T.C. Manumaleuna II, a Salem native, told the Statesman Journal he and his family left the game at halftime because of the chants. Manumaleuna, who is Mormon, explained he didn’t fault the school for the students that were involved in the chants but did feel like the repeated incidents had “some kind of impact” on his experience.
“I would never cross the Ducks off my list. I play football today because I was raised going to Duck games, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t have some kind of impact on me,” Manumaleuna said. “[Oregon defensive coordinator and linebackers coach] Tosh [Lupoi] reached out to my dad yesterday after the game, and I was able to talk with [Oregon director of recruiting and LDS member] JR Moala for a little bit, too. Those guys are like family, especially JR.
“Oregon has a great coaching staff and I appreciate them reaching out to check on us. That meant a lot.”
Manumaleuna received a scholarship offer from Oregon before he was in high school, according to the Journal. He is also considering BYU, Florida State, Miami, Washington State and Cal, among other schools, per ESPN’s Chris Low.
Oregon released a statement and an apology Sunday after a video surfaced online of the chants. The school did not mention whether there would be any type of punishment for those involved.
BYU issued a statement Monday, thanking Oregon for its “sincere apology” and adding that “this isolated behavior does not reflect the values of the University of Oregon.”
The statement continued: “As we all work together to address incidents that seek to divide us, we are grateful for those who are willing to come together to build bridges of understanding.”
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For more Oregon coverage, go to Ducks Digest.
