14-13 What's the Big Deal?

I had a boss who always said perception is reality, although true it's funny how different perceptions can be. Two years ago BYU played a 14-13 game that boosted them into the top 10, where were the critics of the offense then? Maybe because Max Hall lead the offense to the winning score it changed everything.

Lets travel back to the fourth quarter of the BYU/Ole Miss football game. BYU found itself down 13-0 in the fourth quarter before BYU was able to orchestrate an offensive drive that ended in points. Now down 13-7 late in the quarter all BYU needed to do was force a punt and score another offensive touchdown. If only things went that way.

As a BYU fan watching this game I remember too things, the announcers repeatedly saying you can't do that in the SEC and BYU has moved the ball all night but just hasn't finished. The latter was even more true in the second half. BYU had a drive end on a interception near the goal-line and another end in a missed field goal. When Ole Miss had the ball on that third down play I was not sitting there thinking man we better cause a fumble in the end zone or else we will loose this game. No, I was thinking don't give up a big play and Heaps is going to lead us to a big time comeback win. If only that had happened. I have no doubt it would have but fans everywhere didn't get to see it so perception of the game changed.

Instead Van Noy caused a fumble, picked it up and scored a touchdown. Which I am grateful for, and should be seen as just as great as had Heaps lead a touchdown drive, but it is not. ESPN sees the win not as a win for BYU but as a collapse by the SEC school. They don't even mention how BYU dominated the game.

Worst of all is BYU fans now criticizing Heaps, Doman, and the offense. Which I believe has nothing to do with the finial score or even the finial yardage totals but more on how the game was won. Had BYU forced a punt and Heaps lead a drive of 60, 70, or 80 yards he would have been the hero and the game would have been considered a great comeback by BYU. He wouldn't have even needed to complete a pass, just be on the field. Maybe the fact that BYU's offensive couldn't muster a first down to run out the clock hurt it's perception more than not scoring the winning touchdown. Ole Miss now had one more shot and the D stepped up yet again. Oh how we are indebted to the D.

Instead BYU fans are left with the perception that they have no offense, that they can't score touchdowns, that they can't finish games. Had only we forced the punt. The nation left thinking little of BYU and how they dominated a team form the all powerful SEC but how that team collapsed, how that team is no better than last year, how that team kept BYU out of the end zone. Oh how perceptions would have been different and better had BYU forced the punt. Then again BYU could have lost.