BYU Football: Zach Wilson makes difference in blowout of UMass

BYU football traveled to Amherst in Week 13 and downed fellow independent UMass in a runaway victory. Here is what we learned.

Brigham Young University claimed their seventh win of the season in a 56-24 blowout of UMass at McGuirk Alumni Stadium in Amherst.

The Minutemen forced BYU on a three-and-out on the opening series of the game, but it was the only time they managed to contain their visitors as the Cougars scored on each of their next seven possessions before missing a field goal on the last play before halftime. Up 49-0 at the intermission, it was easy from there for BYU to roll to a huge victory.

More than anything, the trip to UMass showed what a difference Zach Wilson makes for the BYU offense. In his second game back after a hand injury required surgery and kept him off the field several months, Wilson torched the Minutemen secondary early and often. Through the first two quarters, Wilson had already thrown for 293 yards and four touchdowns on 17-of-20 passing. With the game out of reach, he took the bench in the second half and finished with a ridiculous 274.1 pass efficiency rating.

With backup Joe Critchlow in the game, the offense scored only one touchdown in the second half. The shift in offensive efficiency was pronounced, as the Cougars stalled with their second-string passer on the field. Critchlow finished 4-of-7 for 15 yards with neither a touchdown nor an interception.

The running game got in on the action, as the BYU backfield finished the game with 320 rushing yards and four touchdown carries as a unit. Freshman running back Jackson McChesney had a breakout performance for the Cougars, busting off a 44-yard touchdown run and finishing the game with 224 yards and two scores on 15 carries. Lopini Katoa added a touchdown and managed to gain 34 yards on his seven carries.

When the Minutemen had the football in the first half, there was little that they could do with their possessions. Other than an eight-play drive in the first quarter that resulted in a punt, UMass went three-and-out on every one of their other first-half possessions. That includes the interception thrown by Randall West that BYU turned into a touchdown on the ensuing drive to go up 42-0.

Things got a bit better in the second half, as the Minutemen avoided the shutout by capitalizing on a muffed punt by Gunner Romney. West found Zak Simon for a 12-yard touchdown pass after UMass recovered the fumble inside the red zone, and they drove for another score on a 29-yard Cooper Garcia field goal after the defense held BYU to three-and-out on their next drive with Joe Critchlow in the game for Wilson.

Ultimately, though, it was too little too late for the Minutemen at home as they closed shop on a 1-11 season in Amherst. BYU improved to 7-4 ahead of their regular-season finale at San Diego State. While a major bowl game is out of reach for the Cougars yet again, they still have a shot to complete a 9-4 finish as well as throwing their former conference into chaos.