Not that I'm rubbing it in, but them's the facts. BYU beat Utah, 33-31, on Saturday. How do I know this? Well, I live in Utah and I'm alive, but also I was at the game! The always wonderful Elliott got me a ticket, and it was so cool. I've had season tickets to BYU games before, and have been to half a dozen Ute games, but never a BYU-Utah game. The atmosphere in the stadium was very amped up - way more than a regular game.
This was the last regular-season game for both teams, and BYU was unbeaten in the conference. BYU are also the conference champions, and ranked 21 in the country at the time. Both teams were already going to bowl games, so all this was for bragging rights.
It was senior day for the U, and we got to our seats just as they were introducing the senior players, last of all Eric Weddle, who is a football genius. Say what you will about the U in the name of rivalry, but Weddle is amazing. He plays defense, offense, special teams . . . he's scored 7 touchdowns (three on defense) and thrown for another. He's pretty awesome. We were sitting in the student section, and when he was introduced the crowed cheered for a very long time. There were also a few stretches in the game when the crowd was chanting his name.
BYU did the
haka before the game, which I always enjoy watching. Unfortunately, since we were in the U student section, I could only see it from behind. Also, since we were sitting in the U student section, I had elected to wear green, rather than blue. I like my team, but I also like not getting booed.
BYU started off great in the 1st quarter, going up 14-0, and then the U took over and almost killed me. It was 14-10 at the half, and then suddenly it was 14-24! Officials were all over the place, with weird spots and strange calls (and non-calls). There were missed field goals (Utah), fourth-down conversions (Utah), missed extra points (BYU), penalties taking the game from 3rd-and-29 to 1st-and-5 (BYU possession). Finally, it came down to this: 27-31 with 69 seconds to play. BYU on the 25 yard line. Impending doom. I was hiding behind Elliott. John Beck and BYU went down the field. Pass. Pass. Pass. Scrambles. Time outs.
Finally, they are down near the 10 with 2 seconds left. I am surrounded by very, very excited Ute fans. People start queueing up to storm the field. The ball is snapped.
Beck looks for a receiver. Looks. Looks. Looks. Every Utah defender is covering every BYU guy, except Beck. Time runs out. Beck looks. Looks. A Ute comes running for Beck; he scrambles right. All receivers follow him right. I lose view and watch the BYU section instead. Suddenly, silence. Suddenly, the BYU section goes nuts.
Not every receiver had followed Beck to the right - Harline had stayed at the left end of the end zone, and was wide, wide open. Beck scrambled, then turned and threw left while running right. Harline went down to his knees, and caught the ball right behind the goal line. Touchdown BYU. BYU players storm the field. The U student section stands agape.
It was amazing. I hate close games because they make me nervous - I loves me a good blowout - but I really didn't think we'd win. They had to clear the field again in order to kick the extra point, since they have to attempt an extra point. BYU just took a knee, not wanting to risk the U running it back for a safety and tying the game again. This also meant that they didn't end up winning 34-31. If you have been a BYU fan for a while, you'll know the significance of that.
After storming the field again and celebrating some more, the BYU team all went and did the haka again for the fans (yay!), and we left. Elliott was so crushed by the ending of the game that I took him out to dinner at the Sky Box.
