Surging UMass looks capable of handing BYU its first November home loss since 2005

Provo • BYU players and coaches couldn’t believe what they were seeing from their hotel rooms in Fresno, Calif., back on Nov. 4. Mississippi State, which had pummeled BYU 35-10 four weeks ago, was getting all it wanted from one-win UMass.

Trailing 20-13 at halftime, the Bulldogs eventually prevailed 34-23 over the UMass team that BYU crushed 51-9 last year in Provo.

That’s why the 3-8 Cougars, who haven’t lost a home game in November since 2005, say they will be on high-alert Saturday when they host the 3-7 Minutemen for the second straight season at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. and the final home game for BYU’s 18 seniors.

“UMass looked really good against Mississippi State,” said BYU senior linebacker Fred Warner. “They came out firing against those guys. Unfortunately, they couldn’t pull it off. But yeah, they looked good. We are going to have to bring our ‘A’ game this time around.”

The Minutemen are rolling, having won three of their last four after opening the season with six straight losses. They racked up nearly 500 yards of offense in a 44-31 win over Maine last week while BYU was rebounding from the 20-13 loss to Fresno State with a 31-21 win over UNLV.

“We were in Fresno, watching them play Mississippi State,” said BYU defensive lineman Kesni Tausinga. “I was surprised they were doing so well, but we watched the film and they are a good team. They’ve got some ballplayers. Their quarterback [Andrew Ford] is really good. Their O-line is not bad. It is going to be a big challenge for us. … This quarterback is really accurate. Their tight end has a lot of catches; he’s a stud. I think they look a little more put together, and are more disciplined.”

BYU coach Kalani Sitake said the Minutemen will be a lot more comfortable in high-elevation Provo this year, and will be smelling blood knowing the Cougars have struggled this season. UMass played in cold, miserable conditions last week at Boston’s Fenway Park and more of that kind of weather is expected Saturday.

Then there’s the revenge factor. UMass led 9-7 last year before BYU scored 44 unanswered points on a sunny afternoon at LES.

“It’s another revenge week,” UMass linebacker Bryton Barr told the Daily Hampshire Gazette, despite being in his first season at UMass. “We’re treating it that way.”

Senior defensive lineman Ali Ali-Musa, who was here last year, said the Minutemen have waited a year to get their revenge on their fellow independent.

“I hope they take us lightly,” he said. “We’re here to play. We’re here to win.”

BYU travels to Massachusetts for return games in late November in 2018 and 2019, possibly at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

Freshman quarterback Joe Critchlow will make his second straight start for the Cougars, having passed for 160 yards and a touchdown last Friday against UNLV. But the Cougars will probably try to establish the run first with junior Squally Canada, who had a career-high 213 yards against the Rebels.

UMass is a respectable 63rd in total defense, but is 101st in rushing defense, allowing more than 195 yards per game on the ground.

“They are one of these teams where you watch them and they are slanting and blitzing and linebackers are hitting it from every angle,” said BYU offensive coordinator Ty Detmer. “Safeties blitz, and they give you a lot to look at. It might be where they blow it up in the back field, but if you crease it, you are into the secondary. … If you get through that crease, you have a chance for a big one.”

BYU’s defense will have its hands full with Ford, receiver Andy Isabella, running back Marquis Young and the rest of the UMass offense, defensive coordinator Ilaisa Tuiaki said.

“It is the most complex [offensive] scheme we have seen all year,” Tuiaki said.