PROVO — BYU freshman quarterback Jake Heaps rolled out left and had an open receiver in the flat. But his underthrown pass was intercepted by Wyoming linebacker Keith Lewis, whose 55-yard pick six cut the Cougars' lead to 16-7 late in the second quarter.
From there, Heaps' approach was all about using a little selective amnesia.
"I wasn't too concerned about it. It was a little frustrating because we let Wyoming back in the game with that interception for a touchdown," he said. "But as soon as I hit the sidelines, that play was over and done with. I didn't think about it the rest of the game. All I was thinking about was helping our team win and making up for our mistake."
For the game, Heaps completed 10-of-18 passes for 81 yards. In the second half, he bounced back to throw for the second touchdown pass of his college career — a 12-yarder to Luke Ashworth. It marked his first TD pass at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
"It was amazing," he said of that score. "Hopefully there's a lot more to come of those."
Coach Bronco Mendenhall didn't talk to Heaps after the costly interception.
"I think Jake knew he made a mistake and he played well enough in the second half to help us win the game," he said. "When a quarterback throws an interception or has a mistake like that, I'm not sure you have to say anything to him. He knows what he did and he felt bad enough about it. Our job is to continue to teach him and build him up and help him lead our team."
Running back JJ Di Luigi said the team has a high level of confidence in Heaps.
"We aren't shying away from Jake. He's growing every day. He really stepped it up in practice this week and it showed in the game. He had one bad pass, but other than that, he was on the money today. He's going to be a great leader and a great player."
Heaps was happy with the way the game ended.
"I felt like I finished today," he said. "Obviously, I wouldn't want to make the mistake in the first place. That's something I'll continue to work on."
FAN SUPPORT: When asked about the crowd of 60,505 that turned out Saturday on a wet, cold afternoon, Mendenhall became a little emotional.
"I'm very thankful and our team is. I wasn't sure how many would show up," he said. "But it matters to me and I know it matters to our team. That's something that I appreciate."
"They've been so supportive," Heaps said of the fans. "To have their energy and their support behind us, it definitely carries over onto the field. I love playing for this university and I love our fans."
INJURY UPDATE: BYU junior receiver McKay Jacobson started the game but suffered knee tightness on the Cougars' first offensive series.
Team trainers decided to hold Jacobson out of the rest of the game, though he could have played if needed, according to team officials.
FIELD GOAL STREAK OVER: BYU senior placekicker Mitch Payne had a 28-yard field goal attempt blocked in the fourth quarter, marking the first time in his career he's missed a field goal inside 30 yards.
Payne did hit a 42-yard field goal in the third quarter, the longest of the season.
SHUTOUT STREAK VS. WYOMING: BYU had shut out Wyoming in their previous two meetings, beating the Cowboys by a combined score of 96-0. Wyoming hadn't scored against the Cougars in nine quarters.
The Cowboys ended that streak Saturday at 10 quarters when they scored on a 55-yard interception return in the second quarter. Prior to that touchdown, BYU had scored 119 unanswered points against Wyoming, dating back to 2008.
Later, the Cowboys scored their first offensive touchdown against BYU since 2007, in the fourth quarter, when Austyn Carta-Samuels connected on a 16-yard touchdown pass to Chris McNeill.
FLAG-BEARERS: BYU senior wide receiver B.J. Peterson carried out the team flag prior to Saturday's game. Former Cougar wide receiver Eric Drage (1990-1993) carried out the alumni flag.
e-mail: jcall@desnews.com