BYU Football beats Portland State in sluggish win

Provo, Utah — On a hot day in Lavell Edwards Stadium, BYU got by FCS team Portland State in a sluggish 20-6 victory.

After going up 14-0 in the second quarter, BYU receivers struggled to find separation against Portland State’s press coverage, and the offensive line didn’t consistently dominate up front as many expected.

The star of the day was defensive end Sione Takitaki; the junior was in the backfield often, and picked up two sacks on the day.

Portland State’s true freshman QB, Jalani Eason, was poised throughout the day and didn’t give the ball up until a late interception by BYU safety Zane Anderson in the 4th quarter.

Offensively, BYU was led by running back Squally Canada, who finished with 98 yards and a TD. Converted linebacker Kavika Fonua showed burst and power on a long 4th-quarter run, and finished the game with 59 rushing yards.

After throwing for 143 yards in the first half, Tanner Mangum ended the game with 194 yards and 1 TD. Freshman tight end Matt Bushman led BYU with 3 receptions for 56 yards, which included a nice 36-yard grab over the middle.

BYU now has a week to get ready for 13th-ranked LSU. BYU will welcome back team captain and starting middle linebacker Butch Pau’u, who missed today for personal reasons.

BYU will have a lot to work on over the next week, but they avoided injuries and walked away with the win.