BYU at UMass postgame notes

The following notes are from BYU's 35-16 win over UMass at Gillette Stadium on Saturday. 

TEAM NOTES
Series notes
With the win, BYU improves to 2-1 against UMass in the series. The Cougars are due to play at Amherst against UMass in 2019. BYU also improves to 8-4 in NFL stadiums over the past 10 seasons.  

Largest comeback under Sitake
The 10-point early deficit is the largest comeback victory under Kalani Sitake. The Cougars went down 10-0 early but then scored 35 straight.

BYU Defense
The BYU defense held the Minutemen to season lows in total yards (285), passing yards (183), yards per play (4.13) and yards per attempt (5.5). The Cougars also tied a season high with 4.0 sacks.

BYU Offense
The Cougar offense ran for 221 yards, including 154 in the second half. It is the second time BYU has ran for more than 200 in a game this season (280 vs. Hawaii). The Cougars did not give up any sacks for the third time this year.

PLAYER NOTES
Zach Wilson
Wilson completed 14 of 22 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns. He added 53 rushing yards, a career best. He ran for a career-best 36-yarder to set up BYU’s first touchdown of the game.  

Talon Shumway
Shumway had his first multi-touchdown game of his career. He caught three passes for 29 yards, two of them going for touchdowns. He caught a 4-yard strike for his first one and a second catch-and-run touchdown for 15 yards, both of them coming in the first half.

Aleva Hifo
Hifo scored his first and second career rushing touchdowns, both coming in the second half. The first was from three yards out and the second from 10. He has one passing touchdown, one receiving touchdown and two rushing touchdowns this season.

Isaiah Kaufusi
Kaufusi tied for the team high with career-high 14 total tackles, doubling his previous career high. He added a pass breakup.

Sione Takitaki
Takitaki posted a career-best 14 total tackles to tie for the team lead. He also totaled 2.0 tackles for loss in the game. With his 14 total tackles, he went over 200 career tackles (201) at BYU.

Rhett Sandlin
Sandlin picked up his first two career sacks in the game, both in the second half. He added another tackle for loss and totaled four tackles in the game.

NOTABLE CAREER HIGHS and FIRSTS
Multi-TD game: Talon Shumway (receiving 4 yards, 15 yards), Aleva Hifo (rushing 3 yards, 10 yards)
Tackles: Sione Takitaki (14), Isaiah Kaufusi (14)
Sacks: Rhett Sandlin (2)
Tackles for loss: Rhett Sandlin (3)
Long reception: Neil Pau’u (40 yards)
Long rush: Zach Wilson (36 yards)
Receiving yards: Neil Pau’u (62)
Rushing yards: Zach Wilson (53)