Thirteen seconds. That’s how long it took to write the latest chapter of one of the greatest rivalries in college football. That chapter is three words long.
Beck to Harline.
For Utah, heartache. For BYU, rapture. On Nov. 25, 2006, BYU sat on the 12-yard line of Rice-Eccles Stadium with two seconds left. The Cougars needed a touchdown to go undefeated in Mountain West Conference play and simultaneously mangle the spirits of a Utah team that was desperate for an upset. The ensuing 13 seconds were possibly the slowest 13 seconds ever recorded.
BYU quarterback John Beck takes the snap in the shotgun formation. He back-pedals right. The senior quarterback motions to his receivers. Beck pump fakes. He is strung out past the left hash mark. A Utah defensive back sprints for the BYU backfield. Beck rolls right. Beck sprints toward the right hash mark. Beck plants his back foot, cocks his arm and releases the ball. The BYU quarterback is simultaneously hit by a Utah defender. Beck lofts a throw across his body. The pass hangs in the air headed for the left side of the end zone. Autumn fades into winter, winter melts into spring. BYU tight end Johnny Harline goes to his knees and cradles Beck’s pass. Half of Rice-Eccles Stadium is jolted with an eternity’s worth of pain. The other half storms the field.
Thirteen seconds. Another chapter in the books. What will happen next?
Just when it looks as if every story in the rivalry has been told, the next year brings something new. This year is no different.
Not since 1993 have BYU and Utah appeared to be so evenly matched. Back then, Utah finished with a 10-2 record and a No. 8 ranking in the coaches’ poll. BYU finished 10-3 and ranked No. 10. That year, the “Holy War” resulted in a 34-31 win for Utah and went down as one of the greatest games in the rivalry series.
This season, Utah won’t be the underdog. Neither will BYU. Both teams are playing as comprehensively as their capabilities allow, and both teams are leaning on traits that became the foundation for their respective football programs more than two decades ago.
Max Hall has grown into his BYU quarterback roll and has the Cougar offense purring like a well-lubricated engine. Darrell Mack’s violent runs and the U offensive line have propelled the Utes on the ground. Both teams are playing superior defense.
In fact, the two rivals are playing so well on the defensive side of the ball that both rank in the top-20 in the nation in fewest total yards allowed per game.
Interestingly, both teams’ defensive strengths mirror what the other does well on offense. BYU ranks No. 15 in the country in run defense. Utah’s resistance against the aerial attack ranks No. 8.
Numbers, rankings and records have never mattered much in this rivalry, so there is no reason to think Saturday’s game will be any different.
It used to be that whenever the “Battle of the Boot” was decided in Provo, BYU was as safe a bet as money could get. From 1974 to 1991, the Cougars were 10-0 when the “Holy War” was held in their home stadium. Then, in 1993, things flip-flopped. From ’93 to the present, Utah has lost just one of the seven BYU-hosted grudge matches. This year, Utah will be looking to pay BYU fans the same heart-sinking blow that the Cougars delivered to Ute fans last year. BYU will be looking to protect its house. Players on both sides know this is the one game that transcends what they do on the field.
“This is a big rivalry,” Utah offensive lineman Kyle Gunther said. “Probably one of the best rivalries in the country, as far as you either hate one team or you love one team.”
Once the pregame prayer has been delivered and the coin is tossed, BYU and Utah will take their respective places on the field, ready to write the rivalry’s next chapter.