BYU Beats Utah in Nailbiter, 26-24
SALT LAKE CITY -- Ryan Kaneshiro's 32-yard field goal attempt with five seconds left bounced off the right upright,
and Brigham Young clinched the Western Athletic Conference Pacific Division championship with a harrowing 26-24 win over
archrival Utah.
BYU (9-3, 7-1 WAC) finished its regular season with seven straight wins and advanced to the WAC championship game in
Las Vegas on Dec. 5 against Air Force. The Utes (7-4, 5-3 WAC) ended a heartbreaking season with four losses by a total of
nine points.
Owen Pochman's 47-yard field goal with 2:59 left put BYU up 26-17, but Daniel Jones returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards
down the right sideline for a touchdown. BYU's offense was forced to punt, and Utah quarterback Jonathan Crosswhite found
Jones for a 43-yard reception to the BYU 24.
A celebration penalty pushed Utah back to the 39, but Crosswhite completed passes to Donny Utu and Jones to bring the ball
to the BYU 17 with 22 seconds to play.
Utah ran the clock down to nine seconds and positioned the ball in the middle of the field, and the snap and hold were both
perfect. But Kaneshiro's hooked kick smacked the upright head-on and bounced away as the Cougars rushed the field and
drew two celebration penalties.
Earlier in the season, Utah's freshman walk-on kicker missed two short field goals and an extra point in overtime in a 21-20
Utah loss to San Diego State.
In the 80th meeting of this bitter rivalry, Pochman kicked three field goals and Kevin Feterik directed an efficient BYU offense,
completing 20 of 28 passes for 221 yards. Ronney Jenkins had 128 rushing yards and a touchdown, but he was ineffective in
the second half.
Crosswhite was 18-for-33 and threw two touchdown passes for the Utes, who were outgained 421-298 and struggled
offensively until the fourth quarter. Mike Anderson put his WAC rushing lead in jeopardy with just 29 yards on 14 carries.
Utah had won four of the previous five meetings between the two teams, but Brigham Young has won the last two in Salt Lake
City.
Utah linebacker Kautai Olevao delivered a bone-splintering hit midway through the second quarter on Jenkins, who fumbled on
the play. The Utes converted the turnover to points when Anderson caught Crosswhite's 11-yard pass and tied the score at 10.
Pochman's second field goal of the first half with 20 seconds left gave BYU a 13-10 lead at halftime.
BYU made a 13-play, 92-yard drive to open the second half, converting three long third downs along the way. Jenkins'
10-yard reverse-field touchdown run gave the Cougars a 20-10 lead.
But Utah countered with its own 80-yard drive, capped by Jones' 8-yard touchdown catch with 20 seconds left in the quarter.
1st 2nd 3rd 4th f
byu 10 3 7 6 26
utah 3 7 7 7 24
cougs 26
utes 24 final
1st quarter
byu - Owen Pochman 41-yard field goal
utah - Kaneshiro 14-yard field goal
byu - Carlos Nuno 23-yard catch from Feterik
(Pochman kick)
2nd quarter
utah - Mike Anderson 12-yard catch from Crosswhite
(Kaneshiro kick)
byu - Pochman 48-yard field goal
3rd quarter
byu - Ronney Jenkins 10-yard run (Pochman kick)
utah - Daniel Jones 8-yard catch from Crosswhite
(Kaneshiro kick)
4th quarter
byu - Pochman 46-yard field goal
byu - Pochman 47-yard field goal
utah - Daniel Jones 95-yard kickoff return
(Kaneshiro kick)
Byu Utah
First downs 23 17
Rushed-yards 43-200 30-126
Passing yards 221 172
Sacked-yards lost 2-11 0-0
Return yards 1 13
Passes 20-28-0 18-34-2
Punts 4-36.8 5-38.6
Fumbles-lost 2-2 1-1
Penalties-yards 8-54 6-60
Time of possession 32:16 27:44
Individual Statistics:
RUSHING: Byu-Jenkins 22-128, Mahe 13-68, Cupp 2-5, Feterik
6-minus 1. Utah-Crosswhite 4-54, Bacon 12-43, M Anderson 14-29.
PASSING: Byu-Feterik 20-28-0-221. Utah-Crosswhite 18-33-2-172,
J Anderson 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING: Byu-Hooks 6-50, Cupp 3-35, Nuno 2-28, Horton 2-25,
Jenkins 2-18, Ofahengauo 1-17, Sitake 1-16, Rigell 1-16,
Roderick 1-11, Mahe 1-5. Utah-Jones 6-77, Utu 6-37, J Anderson
3-37, M Anderson 1-11, Nickel 1-8, Kassotis 1-2.
Att: 45,634
BYU - Utah Game Summary
(Source: Blue & White Sports Network)
1st Quarter:
The Utes start fast as Andre Dyson returns the opening kickoff 53-yards to
the BYU 45. Utah can't get a first down, however, and they are forced to
punt. The Cougars answer with an impressive opening drive, down to the
Utah 23. Kevin Feterik is hit as he throws on third-and-six to stop the drive
and force an Owen Pochman 41-yard field goal. KEY PLAYS: Feterik to
Aaron Cupp for 24-yards; Ben Horton catches a deflected pass for 17-yards;
Ronney Jenkins 11-yard run.
The Cougars force Utah to punt on their next possession, but Aaron
Roderick fumbles the punt at his own 10-yard line. Jason Carter recovers for
the Utes on the BYU 12. After the BYU defense holds once again, Ryan
Kaneshiro puts the Utes on the board with a 24-yard field goal.
BYU answers quickly, as Feterik hits Carlos Nuno for a 23-yard touchdown
pass. The throw was set up by the running of Ronney Jenkins. KEY PLAYS:
Feterik to Horton for 10-yards; Jenkins runs of 16 and 15-yards.
On the Utes next possession, Jonathan Crosswhite is picked off by BYU's
Heshi Robertson for the turnover. Two plays later, BYU ends the 1st Quarter
near midfield.
2nd Quarter:
BYU is forced to punt early in the 2nd Quarter. The punt is a shank, and
Utah takes over on the BYU 48. The Utes can't a first down, though, and
Utah punts once again. On their next drive, Ronney Jenkins is buried by Ute
Kautai Olevau and fumbles the ball back to Utah.
The Utes make the Cougars pay as Mike Anderson brings in an 11-yard
touchdown pass from Crosswhite to tie the game at 10. Utah was helped out
by a questionable pass interference call that would have stopped the drive.
KEY PLAY: Crosswhite 9-yard run.
The Cougars come back and take the lead thanks to a 43-yard Pochman
field goal. BYU couldn't convert on third down at the Utah 29 which forced
them to attempt the FG with 20 seconds left in the half. KEY PLAYS:
Jenkins 16-yard run; Junior Mahe 15-yard run.
Utah tries to the run the clock out, but Omar Bacon fumbles and turns the
ball over to BYU with eight seconds left on the Utah 39. After an incomplete
pass, the Cougars try a 57-yard field goal, but Pochman comes up short to
end the half.
3rd Quarter:
BYU goes three-and-out to begin the quarter. The Utes are driving on their
first series, but Crosswhite is picked off at the BYU 8 by Chris Ellison, as
Utah commits their third turnover.
The Cougars capitalize with an impressive time-consuming drive capped by a
Ronney Jenkins 10-yard touchdown run. KEY PLAYS: Feterik to Roderick
for a key first down; Kalani Sitake with a 16-yard catch; Feterik to
Ofahengaue for 17-yards; Mike Rigell with a 16--yard grab.
Utah comes right back with a great of their own. Crosswhite finds Daniel
Jones in the endzone from seven yards out to pull the Utes closer. The Utes
drive was kept alive with a fourth down run by Mike Anderson. KEY PLAYS:
Crosswhite to Jerome Anderson for 28-yards; Anderson 17-yard run.
4th Quarter:
Owen Pochman connects on yet another field goal as BYU extends its' lead
early in the fourth quarter. The Cougars got down to the Utah 28 before the
drive fizzled out there. KEY PLAY: Margin Hooks 12-yard reception. Utah is
forced to punt on their insuing drive. Utah downs the ball at the 1-yard line.
Backed up that far, BYU can't get anything going and the Cougars are forced
to punt.
Utah gets a first down but can't keep going and punts the ball to BYU at their
own 10. The Cougars get themselves out of a hole as Feterik "hooks" up with
Margin Hooks for a 10-yard first down. BYU then goes to work on the ground
behind Jenkins and Mahe. KEY PLAYS: Jenkins (27-yards) and Mahe
(18-yards).
Instantly, Utah comes back, thanks to a 95-yard kickoff return for a
touchdown by Daniel Jones to pull the Utes within 2 with 2:41 remaining in
the game. BYU gets the ball back at their 20, but Jenkins can't break loose
and Cougars find themselves in a third-down-and-eight situation with 1:45
remaining. Feterik's pass on third down goes incomplete and BYU is forced
to punt the ball back to Utah. The Utes have the ball on their own 33-yard
line.
On their first play, Crosswhite completes a 53-yard pass to Daniel Jones to
the BYU 24. Jones is hit with a personal foul for celebration that backs the
Utes up to the Y 39. Crosswhite hits Donny Utu for 11-yards for another first
down. Two plays later, Crosswhite hits Jones again for another first down to
the BYU 17 with 22 seconds left. The Utes run the ball to the middle of the
field and set up the field goal try with nine seconds left from 32-yards out.
Kaneshiro's kick hits the right upright, bounces off and is no good. BYU
takes a knee after a celebration penalty to win the game.
(Source: Blue & White Sports Network)
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