The quarterback drama for Utah has been an ongoing theme this season, but headed into their matchup with heated rival BYU, Brandon Rose was the solidified starter, and the offensive game plan was geared towards Rose’s skillset. With multiple long scrambles from Rose in the first half and plenty of tight window throws, Utah’s offense had an energy that had been nonexistent throughout the majority of this season. Unfortunately for the Ute faithful, BYU seemed to have an answer for everything Utah threw at them as they put together a game-winning drive that resulted in the go-ahead field goal with 0:03 remaining in the fourth quarter.
What looked like a promising first half for Utah was short-lived, as the Ute offense could not get anything going in the second half offensively. After scoring 21 points through the first two quarters, the Cougar defense prevailed in the second half, holding Utah scoreless and completing the comeback, 22-21.
Recap
The first quarter started off slow, with starting quarterback Brandon Rose not even completing a pass for the duration of the quarter. Still, the Utes held their own against BYU, only allowing a handful of yards at a time for them to advance.
With just over a minute left in the quarter, the Cougars advanced to the Utah 5-yard line, but the Utes managed to hold them to a field goal.
With the Cougars on the board first, a fire seemed to spark under the Ute offense — just over a minute into the second quarter, a 20-yard pass from Rose connected with Brant Kuithe, who danced Utah’s first touchdown into the end zone.
After a Cole Becker kick to make it 7-3, the energy was taken down a notch as the next play saw one of BYU’s wide receivers return the kickoff for a touchdown of their own. Though the Cougars inched ahead, this uncharacteristically did not dampen the Utah spirit.
The Ute offense remained focused, pushing forward as they found themselves within 10 of the endzone. A direct snap to Kuithe earned Utah their second touchdown of the night, putting them back ahead of BYU 14-10.
With the pressure now building on the Cougars, the Utes used it to their advantage and continued the momentum. Another Rose pass found Micah Bernard at the 10-yard line, who ran it in to make it 21-10.
Here, the energy began to change — Utah grew shaky, letting BYU encroach on their territory. Before long, the Cougars were back in the Utah red zone, and shortly added another field goal to the tally. The third quarter rang out with a noticeable shift in the atmosphere, as the game was now in reach of BYU at 21-13.
The fourth quarter was a long one, particularly for the Utes; the red and white struggled to move the ball, while the Cougars recovered a fumble and managed a rushing touchdown. Now dangerously close to Utah, BYU shifted gears, determined not to lose the momentum.
As the clock ticked down and 50,000 Utah fans thought they had the game, multiple chances at a fourth down for the Cougars sparked the play that ended it all. With nine seconds on the timer, BYU nailed a 44-yard field goal, sucking the air right out of Rice-Eccles Stadium.
“You know, football, it is what it is,” Smith Snowden said in a post-game conference. “Gotta take it to the chest, move on and get ready for next week.”
Analysis
Rose looked exceptional in the first half, throwing for 87 yards and two touchdowns and added 44 hard-earned yards on the ground. Head coach Kyle Whittingham had this to say about Rose’s performance: “His numbers were really good in the first half … In the second half, 12-21, just over 50% … I’ll have to go back and watch the film.”
A tough loss at the hands of your rival is never an easy pill to swallow, and it was evident in the post-game presser that the players and coaching staff were not pleased with the outcome of this game for a multitude of reasons.
Bernard led the Utes on the ground in this one, totaling 78 yards on 17 carries and finding the end zone in the first half on a 7-yard pass from Rose. Dorian Singer continued to put up big numbers, catching five balls for 76 yards, while Brant Kuithe caught four passes for 23 yards and a touchdown. Despite the offensive productivity in the first half, Utah failed to move the ball down the stretch, falling short, 22-21.
The Utes will head on the road to take on another rival in the Colorado Buffaloes next Saturday at 10:00 a.m. MST. With a heartbreaking loss this evening, Utah has another chance to play spoiler against a very formidable Colorado team.
