If BYU keeps this up, they likely won’t have any fans left by the end of the season.
The cardiac Cougars gave fans quite the scare before storming back to take down Mississippi State, 28-21, in double overtime at LaVell Edwards Stadium Friday night.
In the win, Jamaal Williams became BYU’s all-time leading rusher as the senior rushed for 76 yards to surpass Harvey Unga. Williams now has 3,468 yards in his career with five games remaining in the regular season.
“Overall I’m really proud of the guys and how they played,” BYU head coach Kalani Sitake told reporters after the game. “A lot of these games have been close, and that takes a toll, but I’m happy with the outcome. We got some things worked out and got the win.”
Taysom Hill completed just 16 of 28 passes for 165 yards, but made them count with three touchdowns. With the game on the line, Hill faked a handoff to Williams, rolled to his right and found tight end Tanner Balderree for a 25-yard touchdown for the game-winning score in double overtime.
The final play …#BYUFOOTBALL #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/WZ7UYEDYKv
— BYU Football (@BYUfootball) October 15, 2016
Mississippi State had a chance to tie the game on fourth-and-9 from the 13-yard line but pressure forced Bulldogs quarterback Nick Fitzgerald out of the pocket before he threw up a prayer in the end zone.
But BYU linebacker Fred Warner was there to break up the pass to seal the win as fans rushed the field in celebration of a very fun, yet emotional game.
The Cougars tied the game up (14-14) early in the fourth quarter as Hill threw a perfect pass between two defenders as wide receiver Moroni Laulu-Pututau made a fantastic diving catch in the end zone. It wasn’t his only great catch of the night as the sophomore also added an incredible one-handed catch late in the fourth quarter.
Moroni Laulu-Pututau's 15-yard touchdown catch in the 4th quarter brought @BYUfootball into a 14-14 tie with @HailStateFB pic.twitter.com/mObtvcfk6c
— Brandon Judd (@brandonljudd) October 15, 2016
Notes: Friday’s victory was the first home win over an SEC team. The defense also kept an opponent to 21 of fewer points for the fifth time this season.
Next Opponents
BYU: The Cougars will go on the road to take on the 15th-ranked Boise State Broncos out of the Mountain West Conference.
Mississippi State: The Bulldogs will return to SEC play and take on Kentucky October 22.
