- Week 3 – #14 BYU (2-0) vs #25 Utah (1-0) – Sat, Sept 9, 10:15pm EST – LES, Provo, UT – ESPN
o This is an especially emotional “Holy War” because it’s Lavell memorial day. Holmoe announces a statue and a special game patch to be worn all season long. ESPN gameday interview crew comes to do a Gameday interview special on Lavell and BYU as well.
o The teams trot out in their classic Royal Blue and Crimson Red. Looks amazing under the lights on a perfectly crisp autumn evening. Tears are flowing as the Lavell tribute video immediately precedes the kickoff. ESPN zooms in on Kalani who has tears running down his face and gathers team together in an unplanned huddle/team hug/pump-up-session right before the teams square off.
o The emotion is palpable…there’s so much electricity in the stadium TNT’s cardboard shack outside is getting free light for the next 6-7 hours!
o UU wins the toss and defers…BYU will start on O. Miraculously, for the first time in 3 tries, the first play of the game is NOT a pick-6! In fact, to avoid the problem BYU hands off to Riley Burt on a sweep and he gains a quick 8 yards. He actually has the speed to beat the UU DL’s to the edge. It’s nice to not have Anae call sweeps with the tall giant WR or the lumbering FB! ☺ After 2 incompletions BYU is forced to punt and goes 3 and out.
o After a beautiful spiral by Johnny Rugby, Isaiah Kaufusi absolutely destroys UU punt returner as soon as he catches it and jars the ball loose! BYU first and 10 from the UU 29 yard line! 5 plays later Mangum finds Davis across the middle for an 8 yard TD pass…7-0 Cougars!
o Teams exchange punts for the rest of the 1st quarter and this game turns into a slug fest. BYU, amazingly, is outmuscling UU on the line, sometimes going to double-tight and just pounding the ball down their throats with Squally and Tolutao. 3 yards…4 yards…3 yards…first down! Over and over and over. Then, Tanner fakes the hand off, rolls left out of the pocket and launches the ball 58 yards down field and hits Trinnaman in stride for the TD!
o UU returns the 2nd half opening kickoff for a TD, adds a long-bomb of their own and ties it up at 14 to start the 4th quarter. After BYU has a solid drive stall b/c of penalties, the FG is blocked and momentum is definitely on the Ute sideline.
o However, Bernard and Warner come up with bone-crushing sacks on back-to-back plays and Corbin Kaufusi sticks his huge paw in the air to tip a 3rd and long pass, leading to a Hanneman INT. 1st and 10 on the UU 43. Ty goes for it on 4th and short from the 25, not wanting to risk another missed or blocked FG. Tanner hits MLP in the flat for a nice 8 yard gain. 4 plays later he finds Micah Simon wide open in end zone in an obvious blown coverage as UU is trying to cover short, crossing routes with TE’s/RB’s.
o BYU adds a safety on a botched snap late in the game that rolls into the end zone and is fallen on by the Ute QB. They pull out the win 23-14 victory and gather with the fans at the new statue after the game to bask in the victory.
o Player of the Game – Francis Bernard, 12 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 sacks