michael's article

BYU'S Alisa provides spark on offense and special teams

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

BYU sophomore running back Michael Alisa had the type of night that doesn't show up very much in the stat book.

He had three receptions for 28 yards, no carries, and one tackle, which is not exactly a performance that's going to show up on ESPN's SportsCenter program.

But the impact Alisa had might well have given the Cougars the edge they needed in their hard-fought 14-13 win at Ole Miss on Saturday.

Alisa, playing in his first game back at running back after competing as a linebacker as a freshman, made a pair of big plays that set the stage for other success.

The biggest came in the fourth quarter on special teams after BYU had cut the Ole Miss lead to 13-7, when the sophomore broke through the Rebel return blockers and tripped up speedy Rebel sophomore returner Joe Scott.

"I was fired up," Alisa said. "This year a big part of our program is our special teams. That's a huge emphasis we're working on. On Day No. 1 of fall camp, the coaches told us they wanted the best athletes on special teams. They wanted players with heart and willpower on special teams because that's how you win games."

That tackle forced the home team to start from the shadow of their own goal line at the 12-yard line and, after a pair of first downs and a pair of penalties, Ole Miss quarterback Zac Stoudt had to retreat near his own goal line before being sacked, fumbling the football and having Cougar linebacker Kyle Van Noy scoop it up for the game-winning score.

"Statistics show that if you pin an opponent inside the 24-yard line on a kickoff, their chances of making a touchdown decrease big time," Alisa explained. "That's been our big goal."

The sophomore also stepped up with a big play on offense.

After a long drive dramatically ended in an interception returned 96 yards for a touchdown by Rebel safety Charles Sawyer, BYU needed to get back some momentum.

On the second play of the ensuing drive, Cougar quarterback Jake Heaps found Alisa alone in the flat and he raced up the sidelines for a gain of 26 yards.

"It was a blast (to make that big play)," said Alisa. "I just want to help out as much as I can on offense."

Although that series didn't lead to points for BYU, it reignited the offensive spark that could've been doused by the turnover. The Cougar offense wasn't really stopped the rest of the way.

"I loved being out there," the sophomore said. "I love the team chemistry. Everyone wanted to be there and was dialed in. It took us some time to get rolling but when we did, everyone was working together to accomplish the win. It may have been a little late, but it was such a good feeling when we all tapped in together."