Lawless Republic
Fansided

BYU Football: The Mount Rushmore of Independence

By Adam Gibby

SAN DIEGO, CA - DECEMBER 20: Kyle Van Noy #3 of the BYU Cougars recovers a fumble scoring a touchdown after sacking the qurterback in the second half of the game against the San Diego State Aztecs in the Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium on December 20, 2012 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kent C. Horner/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA - DECEMBER 20: Kyle Van Noy #3 of the BYU Cougars recovers a fumble scoring a touchdown after sacking the qurterback in the second half of the game against the San Diego State Aztecs in the Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium on December 20, 2012 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kent C. Horner/Getty Images) /
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SAN DIEGO, CA – DECEMBER 20: Kyle Van Noy #3 of the BYU Cougars recovers a fumble scoring a touchdown after sacking the qurterback in the second half of the game against the San Diego State Aztecs in the Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium on December 20, 2012 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kent C. Horner/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA – DECEMBER 20: Kyle Van Noy #3 of the BYU Cougars recovers a fumble scoring a touchdown after sacking the qurterback in the second half of the game against the San Diego State Aztecs in the Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium on December 20, 2012 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kent C. Horner/Getty Images) /

Kyle Van Noy

Statistics: 222 tackles, 7 interceptions, 5 forced fumbles, 4 touchdowns and 26 sacks

As BYU Football entered Independence they needed to make a splash and show that they weren’t going to be taking the same path as just about every other Independence program and become a laughing stock of FBS Football (New Mexico St, UMass, UConn to name a few).

Without much offensive power, Kyle Van Noy was the answer that BYU needed. In the first game of Independence against Ole Miss, Van Noy forced a strip fumble and returned it for a touchdown to essentially give BYU the win in a low scoring 14-13 game.

Over the rest of his career, Van Noy helped win a bunch of other games including Texas (five QB hurries/sacks, eight tackles), Georgia Tech (three sacks), Tulsa (10 tackles, forced fumble) and of course San Diego State where he had a pick six, forced fumble touchdown, and a blocked punt all in the second half. The only other performance I’ve ever seen where a defender has completely taken over a game was Ndamokung Suh for Nebraska when he dominated for Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship game against Texas in 2009.

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