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OXFORD, Mississippi -- BYU kicked off their first season as an independent at Ole Miss and walked away with a late victory without much help from the offense.
Fans, and non-fans alike, were out in full on Twitter.
BYU's D played lights out, but what everyone thought was the "sure thing," the O, looked more like an FCS team than a Division- 1 competitor.
"This is not on the BYU defense," tweeted Ben Bagely, the host of Powerhouse on KFAN while BYU was down 13- 0. "They have been solid for much of the game. Done their job, now time for Heaps & offense to do theirs."
A that point of the game a lot of people had given up on the Cougars, and due to their performance, I'm not surprised.
"OleMiss scores again to go up 13-0 against #BYU It's not looking good for the #Cougars right now," tweeted ksl.com managing editor and sports writer Josh Furlong.
BYU's offense was moving the ball, but could not finish. "Through three quarters, BYU with 235 yards of offense, Ole Miss with 161," tweeted Deseret News writer Jay Drew. That statement is even more surprising when you realize BYU was trailing Ole Miss with a big fat goose egg on the scoreboard.
Many were feeling the same way, then things started to turn around.
"Finally we have a ballgame," tweeted the former co-host of the Gordon Monson show on 1280, Kevin Graham, after Heaps hit receiver Ross Apo for a 19 yard touchdown. "Heaps reverting back to the way he played at the end of last season. Now defense needs to do their job again."
And that's exactly what the defense did. Soon after the touchdown the defense had the Rebels pinned deep in their own territory when BYU linebacker Kyle Van Noy caused Rebels QB Zach Stoudt to fumble and then Van Noy hustled to recover the ball and take it into the end zone.
"Van Noy may of just made the biggest play of the season!!!! I am talking season to come too!" tweeted @JanandGunther from 1280.
"Wow, BYU defense throws a lifeline to Heaps," tweeted Deseret News writer Dick Harmon. "His best friend Kyle Van Noy forces a fumble, recovers it in the endzone and BYU leads 14-13," and that score wouldn't change.
BYU forced Ole Miss to throw an incomplete pass on fourth down and then BYU failed to convert a first down later giving the ball back to the Rebels. BYU's D managed to keep up their intensity and stopped the Rebels giving Heaps and the offense the opportunity to finish the game in the victory formation.
It seemed BYU was done for, but the D not only gave the team momentum and extra life to keep them alive, but scored the touchdown to give them the W.
I think The Jimmer himself said it best in his tweet, "Big comeback BYU."
Email: onlinesports@ksl.com
