Dual-threat Fitzgerald helps Mississippi State hand BYU 6th-straight loss


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STARKVILLE, Miss. — The 2017 BYU football team keeps making history — but it keeps going in the wrong direction.

Nick Fitzgerald passed for 241 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 103 yards and two scores as Mississippi State took a 35-10 win Saturday afternoon that handed BYU a sixth-straight loss for the first time since 1968.

“He did a great job managing the game,” Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen said. “He’s going to get better, and we’re going to get better.”

The Cougars (1-6) allowed 546 yards of offense, including 306 yards rushing.

Fitzgerald opened the scoring with a 15-yard touchdown run with 5:15 left in the first quarter, and the Bulldogs (4-2) never let up en route to a 21-3 halftime lead.

Mississippi State held BYU out of the end zone until Tanner Mangum hit Aleva Hifo with his first career touchdown reception, a 27-yarder with 44 seconds left in the third quarter to pull within 28-10.

But Aeris Williams’ 5-yard touchdown with 7:20 remaining sealed the game for the Bulldogs, and BYU backup quarterback Joe Critchlow played the final four minutes. Mangum completed 16-of-26 passes for 145 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

Sione Takitaki posted a career-high 10 tackles, while Butch Pau’u led the Cougars with 12 tackles and a quarterback hurry.

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