BYU Football: Cougars take care of business vs McNeese St

BYU football felled FCS opponent McNeese in Provo. Here is what to take away from the follow-up game after the Cougars’ big win over Wisconsin.

No matter what BYU did, it was never going to be quite as big as what the Cougars pulled off in Week 3 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. Kalani Sitake‘s team went to Wisconsin and knocked off the top-10 Badgers to move up themselves into the AP Top 25.

With their follow-up game coming against FCS McNeese, there was a ceiling to the impact it could have for BYU this week. A loss, naturally, would have cratered any goodwill earned by the Cougars from their statement win over the Big Ten West favorite. A win, conversely, could only help BYU consolidate their position in the polls and prevent them from dropping out of the national picture.

Couple those high-risk/low-reward stakes with the fact that BYU hits the road to face Washington in Week 5, and there was every reason to think the Cougars could come out listless. Instead, they did exactly what was demanded of them to maintain a spot in the AP Top 25. Holding McNeese to only 207 total yards of offense, they churned out a relatively easy blowout of an overmatched FCS opponent to move to 3-1.

In many ways the 30-3 win over the Cowboys was fueled by the defense and special teams. BYU struggled offensively against their FCS opponent, as Tanner Mangum threw for only 118 yards and a touchdown on 15-of-25 passing. Lopini Katoa led the way on the ground, carrying 10 times for 64 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Squally Canada added 57 yards on 10 carries, as the Cougars finished with 161 rushing yards as a team against McNeese.

But it is instructive to keep in mind that this was still a win over an FCS opponent, albeit one that came to Provo undefeated. There is only so much that should be read into such a victory. But it was a win, and BYU will remain in the Top 25 this week as a result.

Now the Cougars can focus their attention on preparing for the trip to Seattle next week. A win over Washington would vault BYU into the teens of the major polls, opening the possibility that they could put together an at-large bid for a New Year’s Six bowl.