Saturday, September 22, 2018 06:00 PM (ET)

Big plays power No. 25 BYU over McNeese

Field Level Media
Sep 22, 2018

Tanner Mangum threw for 118 yards and a touchdown while Squally Canada and Lopini Katoa combined for 121 yards and a pair of scores in the backfield to lead No. 25 BYU to a 30-3 win over McNeese State on Saturday in Provo, Utah.

BYU (3-1) scored 13 points off four McNeese State turnovers. The Cougars also had one touchdown set up by a blocked field goal and another one by a long punt return.

McNeese State (3-1) totaled just 207 yards and 10 first downs against BYU's defense. The Cowboys did not convert a third down, going 0-for-10. Two quarterbacks, James Tabary and Cody Orgeron, played for McNeese State. They combined for 134 passing yards and a pair of interceptions.

The Cowboys dominated during the first quarter. They limited BYU to just 25 total yards and took a 3-0 lead on a 20-yard field goal from Gunnar Raborn.

McNeese State had a pair of chances to extend the lead. Raborn missed his second field goal attempt from 35 yards late in the first quarter after pushing the ball wide right.

The Cowboys tried to add three more points on a 40-yard attempt from Raborn early in the second quarter, but Corbin Kaufusi blocked the kick. Troy Warner scooped up the ball and returned it to the McNeese State 44-yard line. It set up a 4-yard run from Katoa that gave BYU a 7-3 lead.

Kaufusi's blocked field goal turned out to be the first in a series of big plays for the Cougars. Tanner Jacobson snared an interception at midfield on McNeese State's next drive and returned it to the Cowboys 31-yard line. That set up a 7-yard catch by Talon Shumway that extended BYU's lead to 14-3.

Michael Shelton returned a short punt 21 yards to the McNeese State 35 to set up the Cougars' third second-quarter touchdown drive. Katoa scored again, breaking free on a 14-yard run to put BYU ahead 21-3 with 1:09 left before halftime.

--Field Level Media

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