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DALLAS — The Brigham Young University Cougars had a come-from-behind win in the final minute of Saturday's football game to defeat the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricanes 24-21 in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, advancing the team to 10-3 for the season. Here's a look at some of the game's top performers.
Brigham Young University:
Sophomore wide receiver Cody Hoffman came up with big catches every time he was asked to do so. Hoffman made all three of BYU’s touchdowns, and he bailed quarterback Riley Nelson out time and time again. Hoffman was the offensive weapon BYU needed in order to get the victory over Tulsa. He finished the game with eight receptions for 122 yards and three touchdowns. Senior punter Riley Stephenson had a terrific game. He was called upon to punt eight times, and of those, he pinned Tulsa behind their own 20 yard line seven times. BYU won the field possession battle thoughout the game because of Stephenson's excellent punting.
Senior offensive lineman Matt Reynolds started his 52nd consecutive game as a Cougar in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. At left tackle, Reynolds does not make the highlight reel all that often, but he certainly had a highlight right before the close of the first half. Reynolds had his helmet ripped off at the beginning of the play, but he was not fazed in the slightest: He quickly jumped to his feet and sprinted to the aid of his quarterback. Reynolds delivered a sack-saving block and provided Nelson with the opportunity to find Hoffman, who caught the ball and fought to reach into the endzone, putting the Cougars within 4 points to end the half.
Sophomore linebacker Kyle Van Noy was the leader of the defense in the victory over Tulsa. He seemed to be everywhere on the field. He has great instincts and he trusts those instincts, which allowed him to come up with big plays throughout the game. In this game, Van Noy made his presence known. He came up with big sacks when BYU needed them. He single-handedly took the Golden Hurricanes out of scoring position in the second half after Nelson threw an interception.
University of Tulsa:
Sophomore linebacker Shawn Jackson played a huge role in stopping BYU's quarterback. Jackson put pressure on Nelson at times and simply contained him at others, breaking up several plays and some passes. Jackson also recorded two sacks. Nelson struggled throughout the game, and Jackson deserves most of the credit for those struggles. Sophomore safety Dexter McCoil played excellent coverage against BYU. McCoil seemed to be in the right place at the right time throughout the game. McCoil took away several options for Nelson. He also came away with two interceptions in the game (he had three interceptions but one was called back due to an off sides call on Tulsa). McCoil added to Nelson’s frustration and played a big role in BYU's offensive struggles.
