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OXFORD, Miss. - The BYU Cougars start the season with a win against the Ole Miss Rebels in the season opener. The game was decided late in the 4th quarter as the Cougars held off the Rebels 14-13. Questions arose on the offensive side of the ball, while the defense delivered great performances throughout the game.
Observation 1
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Jake Heaps went 23 of 37 with 1 TD and 1 interception. Heaps came out in the first half missing receivers on easy underneath routes. His accuracy seemed to be a bit off. The interception in the 3rd quarter seemed to be a bad read, which resulted in a 96-yard return resulting in the Rebels first touchdown. After the interception, the Cougars went into a hurry-up offense, and Heaps seemed to be unshaken and even sharper in the ensuing drives.
Observation 2
BYU's rushing attack looked great as they dominated the first half with time of possession. Ole Miss was forced to stop the run, and the Rebels struggled to stop series after series. Brian Kariya and JJ Di Luigi had the majority of the carries. Luigi also had five receptions for 32 yards. The running back position is deep and controlled the pace of the game.
Observation 3
The offensive line seemed to stop the rush nearly every down. Heaps had enough time to find his open receivers, while the running backs had large holes opened up in the middle against an athletic SEC team.
Observation 4
Ole Miss special teams kept them in the game, with two field goals and incredible punting. The Rebels seemed to stay just out of reach. Near the end of the second quarter return man Jeff Scott took a 53-yard punt and returned it 44-yards to put the Rebels on their own 48. Scott then had several key rushes in the following series that set up the first points of the game when Ole Miss went up 3-0 right before the half.
Observation 5
BYU's defense seemed to win the game for the Cougars. The key fumble caused by Kyle Van Noy took the pressure off the offense and allowed the defense to come up with yet another key stop. The linebackers looked great, they caused two fumbles giving the offense the ability to control the tempo of the game.
Email: onlinesports@ksl.com
