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Provo • A trip to their 12th straight bowl game has been secured, the best teams on their 2016 football schedule have been dealt with, and it is apparent that senior Taysom Hill will be their starting quarterback the remainder of the year.
So, what drives the BYU Cougars these days? What motivates them to finish the season on a high note?
Simple, they say. First, it is pride. Second, it is the constant quest for improvement.
Coach Kalani Sitake and offensive coordinator Ty Detmer say the 6-4 Cougars got better in last week's 37-7 romp over FCS foe Southern Utah, and expect that progress to continue on Saturday (noon, BYUtv) when BYU plays host to a fellow college football independent, UMass, at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
"We're still just trying to win games," Detmer said. "You know, just sharpen up. We see different looks every week, so the challenge is just trying to be prepared with in-game adjustments and guys playing tighter and smarter."
In what looks like another lopsided matchup on paper — the Cougars are a 30-point favorite over 2-8 UMass — the Minutemen make their first of two straight trips to Provo with one advantage. They had a bye last weekend and have had time to get some injured starters healthy and prepare for a BYU team that is a bit banged up, especially at running back.
Jamaal Williams, the all-time leading rusher in school history, is nursing an ankle injury and is questionable for the game. Primary backup Squally Canada has been limited by a sprained thumb.
"We haven't changed our thinking or scheme," Detmer said. "We are going to play with the guys that we have. … We feel like whoever is in there, we will be able to execute and run the offense."
Sophomore Tanner Mangum spelled Hill for one series in the second quarter against SUU, then took over for good midway through the third quarter and competed 10 straight passes. Careful not to send a message that they are expecting a blowout, coaches aren't saying when or if Mangum will play this week.
But they would like to get him some significant time, especially since next week's rivalry game against Utah State and the bowl game against a strong Mountain West Conference team figure to be more difficult.
Still, Detmer said having to sit and watch has "been great" for Mangum, who started 12 games last year.
"Obviously, there was some rust there [last week], so the sitting does take its toll on you, especially if you don't get to play any during the season," Detmer said.
Meanwhile, Mangum has said and done all the right things, even joking Wednesday that "I was channeling my inner Taysom Hill" when he ran for 42 yards against the T-birds, a career high.
"It has been a huge learning experience," Mangum said. "Obviously, I am a competitor and want to play and want to compete and help the team out. But I have to make the most of the situation I am in."
Mangum insists he has improved without playing much, pointing to the improved mobility and strength he displayed last week.
"Obviously, the best way to improve is by playing, by getting reps and experience," he said. "But I can't control that. I have to improve the best I can in other ways, especially mentally, by being able to learn and see things, and when the time comes being able to apply that."
Defensively, the Cougars should be close to fully healthy, with defensive end Tomasi Laulile returning last week and linebacker Butch Pau'u expected to play this week. Defensive coordinator Ilaisa Tuiaki is pleased with the progress the unit has made since getting torched for 571 yards at Boise State, but cautions that UMass has shown some of the same type of explosiveness.
"We know we are going to get their best, and have to come out and execute and try to do what we have been doing well, too," he said.
Twitter: @drewjay —
Massachusetts at BYU
P At LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo
Kickoff • Noon
TV • BYUtv (and live stream on ESPN3)
Radio • 1160 AM, 102.7 FM, Sirius XM 143
Records • BYU 6-4, UMass 2-8
Series history • First meeting
About the Minutemen • They had a bye last week, and haven't played since losing 51-32 at Troy on Nov. 5. .. They have 19 first-time starters this season, ranking them as the ninth-most inexperienced program in the FBS. They started the season with just 13 seniors. … Redshirt sophomore QB Andrew Ford has thrown for 1,846 yards and 21 TDs in seven games as a starter.
About the Cougars • They are 33-6 in November over the past 10 seasons including 17-0 at home. … They are 65th in the country in total offense (409.0 ypg.) and 46th in total defense (384.4 ypg.). … Nineteen players have caught passes this season, led by senior Nick Kurtz with 39 catches for 412 yards and two touchdowns. … They are No. 18 nationally in third-down conversion percentage (47.7).