Oct 8, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Brigham Young Cougars running back Jamaal Williams (21) runs the ball for a touchdown during the second half of a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Photo Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Jamaal Williams rushed for 163 yards on 30 carries and two touchdowns to lead Brigham Young past struggling Michigan State 31-14 on Saturday at East Lansing, Mich.
Quarterback Taysom Hill passed for a touchdown and ran for another for BYU (3-3). Hill completed 18 of 27 passes for 138 yards and rushed for 47 yards on eight carries. The Cougars’ defense, which allowed 692 yards to Toledo the previous week, held the Spartans to 206 total yards.
Gerald Holmes rushed for 57 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown for Michigan State (2-3), which has lost three straight for the first time since 2009.
Hill’s 4-yard pass to wide receiver Colby Pearson with 4:52 remaining in the third quarter put BYU on top 10-7. Hill rushed three times for 21 yards on the 13-play, 73-yard drive, including a third-down conversion in Spartans territory.
Hill’s 12-yard scoring run with 12:43 remaining allowed the Cougars to take a double-digit lead. That touchdown, which finished off a 13-play, 70-yard drive, came one play after Hill hit Quin Ficklin with a 2-yard pass on 4th-and-1.
Williams scored on an 8-yard run up the middle with eight minutes remaining to make it 24-7. That score was set up by Michael Davis’ 40-yard interception return against Damion Terry, who replaced Michigan State starting quarterback Tyler O’Connor in the fourth quarter.
Terry scored on a 1-yard plunge with 4:59 left. Williams scored his second touchdown on a 1-yard run with 1:59 left.
The Spartans led 7-3 at halftime. Holmes’ 8-yard run capped a 15-play, 72-yard drive in the first quarter.
The Cougars finally broke through on the last play of the half as Rhett Almond kicked a 35-yard field goal.
