OXFORD, Miss. — Maybe 14-13 is a special score for the Cougars.
Matching the score of a big win over Oklahoma two years ago, the BYU football team pulled out a narrow victory over Ole Miss, thanks to a fumble recovered for a touchdown by linebacker Kyle Van Noy.
Midway through the fourth quarter, the Rebels held a 13-7 lead, but penalties pushed them back to face a third and 27 from their 21-yard line. Ole Miss quarterback Zack Stoudt dropped back for a pass, but was quickly met with Van Noy, who forced a fumble, recovered it and took it back the three yards necessary for a touchdown.
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The Cougars started slowly, with the offense unable to move the ball into field goal range during the entire first half. But the defense was able to hold the Rebels to just three points in the first two quarters.
In the third quarter, BYU began to move the ball, putting together an 8-play, 67-yard drive. But that was interrupted with an interception by Charles Sawyer, who returned the ball 96 yards to put the Rebels up 10-0.
The Cougars responded with an 11-play, 66-yard drive that ended with Justin Sorensen missing a 31-yard field goal.
Ole Miss started the fourth quarter with another field goal, but BYU answered on the next series with its first touchdown of the day — a 19-yard pass from Jake Heaps to Ross Apo.
The next series saw the Rebels pinned deep in their own territory, which led to the Van Noy fumble.
Heaps completed 24 of his 38 passes for 225 yards and one touchdown. Apo had 46 receiving yards and a touchdown. JJ Di Luigi led the Cougars with 56 rushing yards on 12 carries.
