There was a common theme in the postgame remarks of everyone associated with BYU following Saturday’s 13-6 loss to Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium: disappointment.
But the Cougars had a lot to be disappointed about because they had every reason in the world to defeat Utah.
Besides the pain of losing to a bitter instate rival, the loss to the Utes cost BYU a chance to play in a bowl game and it gave the Cougars a 5-7 record–their first losing season in 28 years.
But the most disappointing point of all is that BYU beat itself with two game-breaking fumbles, both inside the Utah 5-yard line.
“The [two fumbles] were obviously the biggest plays of the game,” Cougar wideout Toby Christensen said. “And man, I didn’t want to feel part of that first losing season. My father, he also used to play for BYU, he’s going to give me hard time tonight.”
Things were definitely going the Cougars’ way when BYU defensive back Kip Nielsen intercepted a Brett Elliott pass and returned the ball to the Utes’ 11 yard-line to set up the first fumble. Three plays later, BYU moved the ball to the goal line where quarterback Lance Pendleton was stripped of the ball on his way into the end zone where it was recovered by Utah linebacker Brooks Bahr. BYU Coach Gary Crowton was skeptical of the call.
“I thought Pendleton either had his knee down, or that he was in for the touchdown,” Crowton said.
BYU struggled offensively in the second half until quarterback Matt Berry moved the team inside the Utes’ goal line. But the very next play was fumbled away by running back Marcus Whalen and the Utes recovered. Berry was also put out of the game with a shoulder injury on the play.
“I remember handing the ball off, seeing it come loose, diving for it, feeling my shoulder snap and feeling a lot of pain shooting through my body,” Berry said.
The Cougars never did come close to scoring again, while the defense, worn down by the battering ram that was the Ute ground game with running back Brandon Warfield, did all it could to keep in the game.
Despite the lack of offensive production, BYU still had a chance to at least tie the game. With two minutes to go, Bret Engemann replaced an injured Pendleton and drove the team into Ute territory before a failure to convert on 4th and 20 turned to the ball back over to Utah.
Engemann had always dreamed of being in a last-minute situation against the Utes, but was subdued with the result.
“I was glad to be in there, I’ve been waiting for a chance to play,” he said. “But it was so frustrating that we had so many chances to score and couldn’t convert.”
The quarterbacks combined to throw 20-34 for 237 yards and with one interception, but were sacked five times. The rushing game produced minus-2 yards and two fumbles.
“Right now, it’s all disappointment. You have to earn the win and the right to go to a bowl game, and we fell short of it all in the end.”