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Provo • This year's BYU football team, flawed as it may be, is turning fourth-quarter comebacks into an art form. And quarterback Tanner Mangum is making LaVell Edwards Stadium his personal canvas.
Despite being hampered by a pulled hamstring suffered a week ago, Mangum's latest masterpiece didn't unfold until the second half, but when it did, it was beautiful to behold.
The freshman shrugged off a dismal first half and led BYU to a 38-24 come-from-behind win over Cincinnati in front of 57,612 on Friday night. The Cougars' defense also played well down the stretch, holding Cincy to minus-7 yards in the fourth quarter.
"I've just been impressed and amazed by how they play in the fourth quarter," BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said. The comebacks "are hard on us all, I think, but the outcome is pretty good."
The Cougars (5-2) won their third straight game over an opponent from the American Athletic Conference, pretty much punching their bowl ticket in the process because they play FCS Wagner next week at home. Cincinnati fell to 3-3.
BYU outscored the visitors 31-7 after falling behind 17-3 in the second quarter.
And Mangum was the catalyst, completing 14 of 17 passes in the second half for 172 yards and two TDs after connecting on 5 of 15 passes for 80 yards and an interception in the first half.
Matched against the nation's fifth-best offense, BYU's defense rose up in the second half. The Cougars sacked Cincinnati freshman quarterback Hayden Moore eight times and shut the Bearcats down in the second half after they gained 262 yards in the first half.
"I just started calling things that worked," Mendenhall said. "I got tired of calling things that didn't work."
Junior receiver Nick Kurtz had a breakout game for the Cougars, catching six passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns, the first two scores of his career. Kurtz's 53-yard catch from Mangum with 8:14 remaining in the game gave the Cougars their first lead, 31-24.
After BYU held and Garrett Juergens returned a punt 39 yards, the Cougars took a two-touchdown lead on Francis Bernard's 11-yard TD run.
"You could feel the sideline ignite," Mendenhall said.
The Cougars finished with 449 yards after netting 166 in the first half.
"We just keep playing. We just keep believing," Mangum said. "We know the game is never over."
Not with this guy, who has now directed four game-winning drives.
It was the third time BYU has scored 20 or more points in the fourth quarter this season.
BYU drove 61 yards to tie it at 24-24 on Algie Brown's 3-yard TD scamper, his second touchdown of the game and sixth in two weeks, with 10:24 left in the game.
Like in last week's 45-38 win over East Carolina, BYU's rushing attack took control in the second half. Brown finished with 88 yards, while freshman Francis Bernard had 60, including the 11-yard TD run that sealed it with 4:35 left.
"The biggest thing was at halftime the coaches kept everything positive," Brown said. "They knew we would get it going."
The Cougars got off to a miserable start, and were dominated in the first quarter on both sides of the ball. Cincinnati had 205 of its 262 first-half yards in the first quarter, and jumped to a quick 10-0 lead after a 15-play, 92-yard drive that took more than five minutes off the clock.
The Cougars had just 19 yards in the second quarter when Bronson Kaufusi blocked a 58-yard field goal attempt to give BYU possession at midfield. But BYU could only get a field goal out of the possession after a 38-yard catch by Mitch Mathews. Kaufusi had three sacks, while Sae Tautu had two.
The Bearcats cashed in on Kevin Brown's interception of a pass tipped by Jaylyin Minor at the BYU 20. Seven plays later, Mike Boone's 5-yard touchdown run made it 17-3.
But the Bearcats had just 79 yards in the second half.
"My teammates were just relentless getting after the ball," said BYU linebacker Fred Warner.
Twitter: @drewjay —
Storylines
R Quarterback Tanner Mangum and BYU come to life in the second half and roll past Cincinnati.
• The Cougars sack Cincinnati freshman QB Hayden Moore eight times.
• Junior receiver Nick Kurtz catches six passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns.
Inside
O Monson • BYU saves new hope for a meaningful season. > C5