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PROVO — If head coach Kalani Sitake is to be believed, we all missed an epic dance party after BYU pulled away from an FCS top-10 foe.
Level of competition aside, the Cougars have plenty of reason to celebrate after opening its September schedule with a 3-1 record.
Lopini Katoa ran for 64 yards and two touchdowns, and Tanner Mangum completed 15 passes for 118 yards and a score to help No. 25 BYU pull away from McNeese State, 30-3 Saturday evening at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
“I thought it was good to celebrate the win, and get to this next one,” said Sitake, whose team debuted in the AP Top 25 earlier this week for the first time since 2015. “We’ll celebrate tonight, go to church tomorrow, and get ready for Washington.”
Squally Canada ran for 57 yards on an injured ankle for the Cougars, who had just 25 yards of offense in the first quarter but ended with more than 150 yards on the ground.
Aleva Hifo caught four passes for 38 yards to lead BYU’s receivers, and Talon Shumway added a 7-yard touchdown catch for the Cougars (3-1).
“We really need to be more efficient as an offense,” Sitake said. “But knowing this game, I’m really pleased with them and think they stuck to the game plan enough for us to get a win and control the game.”
Quarterback James Tabary completed 14-of-21 passes for 121 yards to lead McNeese State (3-1), but BYU held the Cowboys, who were ranked No. 10 in the latest FCS coaches' poll, to just 73 net yards rushing.
Tanner Jacobson and Rhett Sandlin each hauled in an interception on defense for the Cougars, who also took advantage of a blocked field goal and botched punt return. Freshman kicker Skyler Southam hit three field goals for BYU, including a 47-yard attempt in the third quarter that was the longest by a BYU kicker since Mitch Payne drilled a 48-yarder against UNLV in 2010.
“It was one thing that I’ve wanted for a long time,” Jacobson said after the game. “I was thinking about this week, that I would have an opportunity. It was great to see years of work lead to that.
“I was very excited to help lend momentum to the team.”
Ryan Ross set up McNeese’s opening score with a run inside the 5-yard line, and the Cowboys went up 3-0 on Gunner Raborn’s 20-yard field goal with 6:38 left in the first quarter.
Canada fumbled on his first possession, but BYU’s defense held the Cowboys out of the end zone and forced Raborn to miss his second field goal attempt less eight minutes into the game.
But the Cougars took a 3-0 deficit out of the first quarter, being held to just 25 yards of offense.
Raborn’s third field goal attempt — and first of the second quarter — was blocked by Kaufusi, and Troy Warner picked up the live ball and return it just past midfield. That gave the Cougars the energy they needed to score 30-unanswered points and pull away for the win.
“The whole defense knew we had to make a play. We needed momentum, and we were late in the way we were playing. So we decided to do something about it,” said Kaufusi, who also had five tackles and a sack.
“Luckily, I’ve got two big guys in the middle to help push those guys back, and that made it easy.”
BYU coach Kalani Sitake after the Cougars move to 3-1 with 30-3 win over McNeese State https://t.co/oJ5Iri1E3i
— KSL SportsBeat (@kslsports) September 23, 2018
Katoa gave BYU its first lead of the game, rumbling in from 4-yards out to cap an 8-play, 79-drive for six with 8:42 left in the half. After Jacobson’s interception, Mangum doubled the advantage by hitting Talon Shumway with a 7-yard strike to go up 14-3 with 6:37 left in the half. Katoa then rumbled in for his second touchdown of the day to give the Cougars all the scoring it needed.
“The O-line really opened up some huge lanes that made it possible, and it was nice to get in there,” Katoa said.
Backup quarterback Zach Wilson made his debut in a BYU uniform, but his first play was called back by a holding penalty. He also completed a pass to fellow freshman Gunner Romney, but Wilson’s first series ended in a turnover on downs.
Wilson completed one pass for 12 yards, and added two more rushes in his Cougar debut.
Next up
BYU travels to No. 10 Washington for a 6:30 p.m. MT kickoff. The game will be broadcast on FOX.
The Cougars will be playing their fourth Power-5 opponent in September, including last week's 24-21 win at then-No. 6 Wisconsin.
