True Blue Week: T-to-the-hursday

So while listening to sports radio today I was forced to listen to an atrocious statement. Kyle Gunther, former Utah offensive lineman, said that it was garbage how BYU stole the last two games when Utah played better in each game. I chortled (yes, chortled) aloud when I heard that. Maybe he had a different view down on the field, but from where I watched both of those games, I could have sworn the better team won.

Let's dig in. In 2006, the game was more or less evenly played; BYU just played a little better and won in an incredible manner. The first quarter had the makings of a good 1980's style blowout as BYU jumped to a 14-0 lead. Things changed in the second quarter, and not necessarily because the Utes did anything right. While still holding a two touchdown lead, BYU was forced to punt. After the ball left the punter's foot, a Utah defender flew into his leg. The kicker went down and limped off the field afterwards. Did the referee throw the flag? Not at all. Could the referee have hit the Utah player for roughing the kicker? Yes, he could have. Okay, that's a break for Utah. Not too long after that, Utah saw their own drive stall near the fifty yard-line. They called a fake punt on fourth down, and as Louis Sakoda ran the ball past the unprepared defensive front, the nearest BYU player in pursuit was clearly pushed in the back and taken out of the play. Was the terribly obvious penalty called? No. Would things have turned out differently if it were? Most likely. Those two missed calls helped Utah take the momentum away from the Cougars as they fought back.

The Utes won the third quarter as well. In their credit, their defense, once momentum had switched, seemed to have the Cougars' number. We couldn't do anything right in those quarters. Thankfully, close football games are decided in the fourth quarter. Utah didn't play poorly in the fourth, but BYU once again put together a great quarter and an amazing final drive to win the game. When it all came down to it, the better team won the game. Utah played well for two quarters, but BYU also played well for two quarters. However, playing well for BYU meant something different than Utah's playing well, and that difference is the reason we won and Utah lost. Give me a break, Gunther.

The 2007 teams were perhaps more evenly matched, but Utah did not dominate that game. In fact, the only time they were leading was after they scored late in the fourth quarter. BYU left a lot of points on the field in that game. Imagine if the three field goals we scored had been touchdowns. By the time Bryan Johnson finally engineered a touchdown drive, the score would have been 21-10 with just a few minutes to go. The game would have been out of reach for Utah at that point. The Utes were lucky to have even been in a position to take a lead at that point. Then there's the famous 4th-and-18. Weak teams do not make plays like that against better opponents. I've watched a lot of college football, and when teams that are supposed to lose on paper are in situations like 4th and 18, they usually collapse in on themselves. Why then, if Utah were such a better team, did they let Austin Collie get wide open at the worst possible moment?

Good teams find ways to win, even when it looks like they're goners. That is what BYU did - twice. If Utah were the better team in either of those two games, why did they lose both of them? The better team emerged victorious. Case closed. I realize that Gunther was probably just trying to get a rise out of BYU fans when he said that. I'd like to believe him more intelligent than that. Then again. We all know where he went to school...

BYU Football Memory#4:
All I need to say is this: 4th-and-18. But I will say more.

It was a beautiful afternoon in late-November. I was sitting on the seventh row in the south end zone. It was the fourth quarter, and BYU was down 10-9. Utah had just scored and there wasn't much time left. Before Utah scored, Harvey Unga had dropped an easy pass with a clear lane to the end zone. It had happened in our end zone, and we were all dying when he dropped it. Then Utah scored and things started to seem bleak. I guarantee that every BYU fan in the stadium had the 2006 final drive in mind when we got the ball back after Utah's go-ahead touchdown. But then our drive never got going. We lost 8 yards on first down when Hall was stripped of the ball and fell on top of it. On second down Hall's pass to Pitta was incomplete. Then on third down, the toss to Pitta was nearly intercepted. Thus, we found ourselves in dire straits. It was fourth down and a long eighteen yards to the first down. If I were a Utah fan, this is exactly where I would have wanted to have BYU.

There was a palpable tension in the stadium. The Utah fans were noisy, anxious to relive their 2005 victory in Lavell Edwards Stadium. I was incredibly nervous when the offense lined up for the play. We were already conference champions, but losing to Utah would taint everything we had accomplished that season. I had no idea how the play would go down, but I was hoping that somehow we would pick up the first down. I watched as Hall took the snap and the Utah pass rush collapsed the pocket. I was relieved when Hall was able to escape the pressure and roll to his right. As soon as he rolled right, I knew where the ball was going. I yelled out "Collie" just as Max threw the ball, and everyone's attention turned to the wide open Austin Collie. Somehow he had slipped behind the defense and Hall, playing with a recently separated shoulder, was able to throw the ball deep enough. 49 yards down field we had a first down, and everyone knew how the game would turn out. With a play like that, how could we not continue marching down field and win the game? The stadium was incredibly loud after that play. It seemed everyone of the tens of thousands of BYU fans were jumping up and down for joy. It was incredible. The volume and intensity of the cheering was greater than anything I had experienced up to that point. Later, when Unga destroyed the Utah defense and ran over people en route to an eleven yard touchdown run, things got pretty loud. Probably as loud as after the 4th-and-18 play, but by the time Unga scored, we could all sense it was coming. My dream of rushing the field at Lavell Edwards Stadium was fulfilled once the final desperation toss into the end zone was batted down. This might sound tacky to those who don't possess the same love of sports and competition, but at that moment, I was about as happy as I could possibly be. Those of you who do understand it, and are Cougar fans, probably felt the same way. The sheer elation paled only to what happened in the 2006 game. But the 2007 victory was definitely one I will always remember. People will continue to talk about the 4th-and-18 for a very long time, and I can proudly say, "I was there."

Boo yah. Here's a link to a sweet Youtube video with highlights from the game.