STATESBORO - The 14th-ranked BYU Cougars scored 20 unanswered points to pull away from the Georgia Southern football squad for a 34-17 victory Saturday afternoon in non-conference action at Allen E. Paulson Stadium.

The Eagles (3-8) ate up over seven minutes of clock on the opening drive, led by Connor Cigelske making his first start at quarterback, but had to settle for a 38-yard field goal from Alex Rayor. The Cougars marched right down the field on their first possession to take the lead back with a 5-yard touchdown run from Lapini Katoa. On the first play of the second quarter, Puka Nacua caught a 5-yard pass from Jaren Hall to stretch the lead to 11. But Cigelske led the Eagles right back down the field on an eight-play, 72-yard drive capped by a 3-yard touchdown run from Logan Wright, his seventh of the season. Cigelske was 4-for-4 on the drive for 56 yards on the drive.

After a big stop on fourth down, the Eagles took over and went right down on the field in just four plays as Wright scored his second touchdown of the game, this time from 11 yards out to give GS a 17-14 lead. BYU tied it up on a 39-yard field from Jacob Oldroyd with just under five minutes left in the half. Oldroyd connected from 38 yards out with just 46 seconds left in the half to give the Cougars a three-point lead at the break.

BYU (9-2) took the opening kickoff of the second half and posted a 10-play, 78-yard scoring drive that was capped by Tyler Allgeier's 1-yard scoring run. That's the way it stood until early in the fourth quarter when Hall hit Pacua for a 29-yard scoring pass to give the Cougs their biggest lead of the game at 34-17.

Cigelske completed 11 of 14 passes for 122 yards with an interception while Wright led the ground game with 50 yards and two scores. Eldrick Robinson II led the Eagles with 10 tackles. Allgeier led the Cougars with 136 yards rushing and a score while Hall completed 17 of 29 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns.

Notes
BYU was the highest-ranked FBS team to ever play in Paulson Stadium … Cigelske made his collegiate debut in the game … He became the fourth different starting quarterback for the Eagles this season, a new modern era high for Georgia Southern … The crowd of 20,862 was the largest of the season for the Eagles at home.

Scoring
GS: 7:14 re 1st - FG Raynor 38
BYU: 3:15 re 1st - Katoa 5 run (Oldroyd kick)
BYU: 14:56 re 2nd - Nacua 5 pass from Hall (Oldroyd kick)
GS: 10:17 re 2nd - Wright 3 run (Raynor kick)
GS: 6:25 re 2nd - Wright 11 run (Raynor kick)
BYU: 4:56 re 2nd - FG Oldroyd 39
BYU: 0:46 re 2nd - FG Oldroyd 38
BYU: 10:03 re 3rd - Allgeier 1 run (Oldroyd kick)
BYU: 10:38 re 4th - Nacua 29 pass from Hall (Oldroyd kick)

Up Next: at App State - Saturday, Nov. 27 - 2:30 p.m. - ESPN+