Fresno State vs. BYU football recap: Cougars demolish the Bulldogs 52-10

BYU started slow, but ended up running away with a 52-10 victory in its final home game of the season. The win gives the Cougars their eighth win of the season, moving them to 8-3 overall and dropping Fresno State to 3-8. BYU quarter back Tanner Mangum finished the game 24 of 37 passing for 336 yards and a touchdown in the victory. Bulldogs' quarterback Zack Greenlee was 14 of 41 for 125 yards and three interceptions in the loss.

The Cougars came out sloppy in the first quarter allowing the Bulldogs to draw first blood in the first quarter with a 28-yard field goal attempt that was set up by a failed BYU fake punt attempt in Fresno State territory. The Cougars did manage to get into field goal position late in the first quarter setting up Trevor Samson to convert on a 40-yard field goal, tying the game at three.

The Cougars picked it up in the second quarter starting with a five-play, 59 yard drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown run by Francis Bernard and featured a highlight reel catch by Mitch Mathews to make the score 10-3 after a successful Samson extra point. The defense then picked off a pair of Greenlee passes on the next two drives, the first by Kai Nacua which was returned 32 yards for a touchdown and the second by Fred Warner which was returned to the Fresno State 18-yard line. The very next play Mangum connected with Moroni Laulu-Pututau for an 18-yard touchdown pass. A missed PAT after Nacua's touchdown and a successful two-point conversion following Laulu-Pututau's touchdown made the score 24-3 going into the half.

The Cougars stayed red-hot on their first offensive drive of the second half this time on a nine play, 59-yard drive that ended in another one-yard touchdown run by Bernard, making it 31-3 after another successful PAT from Samson. Later in the third quarter Algernon Brown capped off a 95-yard scoring drive with a 45-yard touchdown run, giving the Cougars a 38-3 lead after the extra point.

BYU kept things rolling early in the fourth quarter on a trick play that resulted in DE/TE Remington Peck completing a 15-yard touchdown pass to Terenn Houk, giving the Cougars a 45-3 lead early in the fourth quarter after the successful PAT. Shortly after Peck's touchdown, Nacua would pick up his second interception of the day, setting BYU up for a 23-yard drive and a five-yard touchdown run by Nate Carter with 12:22 remaining in the fourth quarter. Fresno State would pick up its only touchdown on a 29-yard touchdown run by Kilton Anderson. The final 8:42 would not feature any more scoring from either team and BYU finished with a 52-10 victory.

Bronson Kaufusi had a dominate performance for the Cougars in his final game at LaVell Edwards Stadium, picking up five tackle, four tackles for loss, three sacks, a pass break up, and a blocked field goal. Brown finished the game with 97 yards rushing and a touchdown on 11 carries. And Laulu-Pututau 95 yards receiving and a touchdown on three receptions.

BYU will be back in action next week versus Utah State in Logan for the final game of the regular season. That game will kickoff at 1:30 p.m. MT on CBS Sports Network.