Oh, Canada! RB leads BYU to upset of No. 6 Wisconsin

Cougars out-‘smash’ smashmouth Badgers

MADISON, Wis. — Brigham Young coach Kalani Sitake viewed Wisconsin’s brand of smashmouth football as a blueprint for success.

The Cougars followed the plan to perfection Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.

Squally Canada ran for 118 yards and two touchdowns and BYU handed mistake-prone Wisconsin its first nonconference home loss since 2003 with a 24-21 victory. That 2003 loss was a 23-5 defeat at the hands of UNLV.

BYU gave sixth-ranked Wisconsin fits on motion plays and sweeps. The Cougars (2-1) tossed in a trick play, too, when receiver Aleva Hifo found open tight end Moroni Laulu-Pututau for a 31-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.

Sitake was so happy with the toughness of his team that he gave the game ball to his strength and conditioning coaches.

“I talked about how much I admire the (Wisconsin) program, the tradition and the smashmouth football that they play,” Sitake said. “But our players were gritty and they played hard and with a lot of toughness.”

Wisconsin (2-1) had one last chance to avoid an upset with a drive that started with 3:55 left at the 8. But normally reliable senior kicker Rafael Gaglianone’s 42-yard field goal attempt to tie with 41 seconds left went wide left.

“BYU! BYU!” yelled the small contingent of Cougars fans in the stands. BYU’s last victory over a top-10 team came in 2009 with a 14-13 win over third-ranked Oklahoma.

“We just wanted to win the line of scrimmage and be physical,” Sitake said.

The Badgers’ 41-game nonconference winning streak — the longest active in the nation — came to an end. Their hopes to make the College Football Playoff probably did, too.

“Win as a team and everyone can own their part equally in a loss,” Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said.

Skyler Southam’s 45-yard field goal with 9:58 left, set up by Canada’s 46yard run on the first play of a five-play drive, gave BYU the lead for good at 24-21.

The Cougars punched right back after Wisconsin tied the game at 21 on Taiwan Deal’s 5-yard touchdown run with 12:43 to go.

“They out-executed us,” Badgers linebacker T.J. Edwards said.

BYU’s Tanner Mangum was 12 of 22 for 89 yards, but deftly operated an offense that used spread formations, motions and sweeps to find holes against Wisconsin.

Hifo ended up having the biggest pass on the trick play.

“That was a big momentum boost. It gave us a lot of confidence,” Mangum said.

Morry Gash The Associated Press Brigham Young running back Squally Canada dives into the end zone for a touchdown in the second half of the Cougars’ 24-21 upset of No. 6 Wisconsin on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.