BYU-Utah 2010 Football Recap

These games can only seem to end one way: drama, drama, drama.  I must just get out that the one thing that I hate about this rivalry reared its head immediately following the game today.  After blocking the potential game-winning field goal on the last play of the game, several Ute players immediately got in the face of BYU players.  Then about a dozen Ute players ran directly from their sideline to the BYU sideline to taunt, talk smack, etc.  Several of them had to be restrained by their coaches.  After making a play to win the game, about a third of the team was more concerned with rubbing it in BYU's face than celebrating with their team.  It was every bit as ugly and classless as Max Hall's tirade last season.

Now, back to the game.  No analysis of this game could really talk about anything but the following: do not beat yourselves.  BYU handed the game over on a silver platter.  Even then, though, they rallied and took a drive down the field and had a chance to kick the game-winning field goal as time expired: a 43-yarder from straight away, almost as easy as Boise State's two kicks yesterday.  No BYU fan could have felt comfortable though: expecting BYU to go four-for-four on field goals against Utah on the road is just not a reasonable request.  Here is a run-down of the few key plays that cost BYU the game.

The first big mistake was not kicking a 30-yard field goal to go up 9-0 early in the third quarter.  I understand going for it on fourth down (with inches to go), and I even understand the play-action pass, but I'd rather take the points and the two-possession lead.  BYU averaged less than 2 yards/carry for the game, so gaining inches on such a big play may have been a tall order.  Starting on the Utah 23 and not getting any points is tough to swallow.  But no one can say BYU played to not lose instead of playing to win.  They played to win all day long.  However, that was a momentum-killer.

The second big play was Rich missing an interception on the goalline.  Both Rich and Logan had better shots at it than Jereme Brooks did.  BYU would have been backed up on their own 1-yard line, but they would have had a 13-point lead and the ball going into the fourth quarter.  Instead, Utah was able to kick a field goal to make it 13-3.  It would have been a fairly difficult catch, but the senior FS will be the first to tell you that he should have had it.  It might have sealed the game.

The third and fourth plays were after Utah's field goal.  BYU fumbled the ball on a miscommunication and the ball kicked out and was recovered by Utah.  Even if BYU just runs it 3 times and punts, Utah has worse field position and about 2 minutes less of game clock.  As it is they fumbled and Utah recovered.  Utah immediately turned it around with a TD strike on the very next play.  A lucky bounce off of Brian Logan, who was in perfect position, allowed the catch to happen.  Two lucky bounces on consective plays.  Utah scores to make it 13-10 with only a minute taken off the clock.  Well done, Utes.

The fifth play came after BYU scored to make it 16-10.  They stopped Utah after just a single first down.  A shanked punt that only went 27 yards bounced off a BYU player and Utah recovered it.  It certainly wasn't the BYU player's fault: the ball could have bounced a lot of different ways and missed him, but it didn't.  Then, the ball bounced inside instead of outside, giving the Utah player better positioning to recover the ball, which he did.

The sixth play came immediately following the punt miscue.  BYU intercepts the pass on the very next play.  During the return, Brandon Bradley "fumbled" the ball (everyone who saw the game will understand the reason for the quotation marks: it was a questionable call, at best).  It was pretty clear that he fumbled after he was down, however, the Mtn has the camera work that it has.  If the game had been on ESPN, it would have been overturned, but the Mtn did not have a definitive view without bodies in the way blocking the view.  Still, to lose the ball in that situation at all is inexcusable.  Take a knee if you have to.

The seventh play was the blocked kick on the final play of the game.  You simply cannot allow that to be blocked.  Now, given the trajectory the ball looked to be traveling on, it probably saved Mitch Payne from having nightmares about missing the game-winning kick against Utah.  I don't think it was going in anyway.

If any of those 7 plays went differently, BYU would have won the game.  If 2 or 3 of them go differently, then BYU wins handily.  BYU beat themselves, and Utah was good enough, and played well enough, to cash in when the chances came.

BYU fans should be very encouraged though.  They took a very young team into the most hostile environment they will EVER play in.  They had the better QB, the better defense, and, on all but about three plays, the better special teams.

The defensive line dominated a big, veteran offensive line for much of the game.  The LBs did very well in space against quick, shifty receivers.  The secondary had great coverage with about two exceptions in 60 minutes.  The defense had three interceptions, and held one of the highest scoring teams in college football to 17 points and less than 300 yards on the road.

The offense could not run the football at all, but the passing game was on target.  Jake Heaps had a better game in his first try than any game that Max Hall had in any of his three attempts.  The receivers had some drops, some costly drops (most of those drops are graduating, welcome back to the dog house, Luke Ashworth), but they also made some big catches and big plays as a group.  The line held its own in pass blocking, but failed to open up holes in the running game (though even when they did, the backs did a horrible job of finding them).

Cougar fans should feel good about their performance and their team in 2011.  It hurts to lose to your rival anytime, but the future is definitely looking bright.  BYU fans should certainly be feeling good about the rematch in Provo next September.  They were probably the better team today, and it will probably only get better for them next season.  Both teams should definitely look forward to bowl wins, as neither will face a "worthy" opponent.  Congrats to Utah for pulling out the 1-point home victory against a 6-6 BYU team that starts a true freshman and got killed by Utah State: if you want to read more about the U's win, go to a site that doesn't have "your home for BYU sports" in the title.