POSTGAME BLOG: (20) Utah 17, BYU 16


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FINAL
Score: (20) Utah 17, BYU 16
Brandon Burton blocks Mitch Payne's game winning 42 yard field goal attempt and the Utes have defeated BYU 17-16 in yet another classic in the 92nd edition of the Holy War.

Utah was outplayed by BYU for the first three quarters, but the Utes never gave up and battled back from a 13-0 deficit to take the lead 17-16 with just over 4 minutes left in the game.

Final Stats

BYUUTAH
1st Downs1914
3rd down6-154-15
4th down0-11-1
Total Yards293296
Passing22820
Rushing6589
Penalties2-203-40
Turnovers43
Possession32:3227:28
<a href="http://www.ksl.com/?sid=12248815&nid=886&page=_sport_football_competition:28987/sport/ncaaf">Box Score/Player Stats</a>

But unlike 2006, 2007 and 2009, BYU's last second miracle fell short as Brandon Burton blocked what would have been a game winning kick by Payne.

Jake Heaps did not play like a freshman quarterback for the Cougars. In fact, he continued to make play after play for BYU to set up the potential game winner. Heaps finished 22 of 37 for 228 yards, but when the game was on the line with BYU down 1 with over 4 minutes to go, he was a perfect 4-4 for 49 yards. He has a very bright future ahead of him.

On the other side of the ball, Jordan Wynn battled back and was the quarterback Utah fans hoped he would be. While he struggled for the first half, so much so that Terrance Cain came in to replace him, he got a second chance after Cain threw two interceptions and did not disappoint. Wynn led two fourth quarter touchdown drives to give the Utes their first lead of the game.


Time Remaining: 4:18 Fourth Quarter
Score: (20) Utah 17, BYU 16

After BYU drove down to the Utah 13 yard line, Chaz Walker sacks Jake Heaps and then the defense held from there to hold BYU to a 42 yard Mitch Payne field goal to give the Cougars a 16-10 lead with 7:38 left in the game.

Utah had a chance but are unable to move the football and will be forced to punt. Joe Phillips shanks the punt, but it bounces off a BYU player and Greg Bird recovers for the Utes. 1st and 10 Utah from the BYU 46 yard line.

An incredible turn of events - BYU intercepts a Jordan Wynn pass, but Brandon Bradley fumbles and Utes recover at Cougar 38. It takes Utah just 3 plays from there, one of them a nice pass from Wynn to Dallin Rodgers for a gain of 29 that set up Matt Asiata's 3 yard TD run. 17-16 Utah leads, 4:18 left in game.


Time Remaining: 13:46 Fourth Quarter
Score: BYU 13, (20) Utah 10

Eddie Wide is the only player on the Utah offense playing with any heart. Nearly singlehandedly he brought the Utes down to the BYU 23 yard line. Jordan Wynn then has two bad throws and the Utes try a 40 yard field goal, and this time it is good. Utes on the board but still trail by 10, 13-3 with 14:56 left in the 4th quarter.

Utah's defense comes up big again with a fumble recovery inside BYU territory on the 37 yard line. Heaps fumbled the handoff exchange and Junior Tui'one recovered it for the Utes.

On the next play, Jordan Wynn throws a jump ball into the end zone and DeVonte Christopher makes a great adjustment on the ball and makes the catch for the score. 13-10 BYU with 13:46 left in the 4th.


Time Remaining: 4:51 Third Quarter
Score: BYU 13, (20) Utah 0

Shane Hunter just ended another Utah drive with an interception and return down to the Utah 19 yard line. Poor read by Cain, but he did make the touchdown saving tackle. Utah can't do anything right today, and defense once again backed up against wall.

Jake Heaps then completes a pass to a wide open McKay Jacobson - and I mean wide open - and BYU has all the momentum and a 13-0 lead.


Time Remaining: 10:20 Third Quarter
Score: BYU 6, (20) Utah 0

Utah's defense forces a BYU punt, but once again are backed up, this time on their own 14 yard line. Terrance Cain in at QB for Utes.

Terrrance Cain throws 2 incompletions and an interception that is returned all the way down to the Utah 23 yard line by Jameson Fraizer for the Cougars. BYU with all the momentum now.

BYU goes for it on 4th and inches and Jake Heaps' pass is incomplete. Turnover on downs, Utah ball.


HALF
Score: BYU 6, (20) Utah 0

BYU takes advantage of the great field position after a poor Utah punt as Mitch Payne kicks a 37 yard field goal right before the end of the half. BYU leads Utah 6-0.

1st Half Stats

BYUUTAH
1st Downs95
3rd down1-62-8
4th down0-00-0
Total Yards120124
Passing73113
Rushing4711
Penalties1-153-40
Turnovers10
Possession15:4814:12

Utah has been shut out offensively by a stout BYU defense, whose only lapse so far was a 60 yard pass from Jordan Wynn to Jereme Brooks. But, the Utes weren't able to convert the drive into points.

BYU has had excellent field position all game with an average starting position at their own 33. Utah has an average start way back on their own 18. In a defensive struggle, just like this one is turning out to be, field position is very critical to put points on the board, something BYU has been able to capitalize on.


Time Remaining: 2:23 Second Quarter
Score: BYU 3, (20) Utah 0

BYU LB Kyle Van Noy with a great open field tackle to prevent Eddie Wide from getting a first down and Utah is forced to punt again. BYU with great field position on the Utah 41 yard line after a poor punt by Phillips.


Time Remaining: 4:04 Second Quarter
Score: BYU 3, (20) Utah 0

Big play as Jordan Wynn finds a wide open Jereme Brooks down the right sideline for a gain of 60 down to the BYU 30 yard line. Utah misses a chance for 7 as Kendrick Moeai can't haul in a pass that would have put the Utes down inside the BYU 10, and things go from bad to worse as Joe Phillips misses a 45 yard field goal attempt. BYU still leads 3-0.

Utah's defense starting to settle in and get a feel for this BYU no huddle offense. BYU moves to their own 40 before being forced to punt. Utah with terrible field position, again backed up on their own 16 yard line.


Time Remaining: 7:23 Second Quarter
Score: BYU 3, (20) Utah 0

Utah moves into BYU territory for the first time today but stall on the BYU 43 yard line and are forced to punt. Utah was successful through the air, but the run game is nonexistent due to BYU's front 4. BYU will get a chance to extend their lead with the ball on their own 14 yard line.

BYU tries a reverse pitch back pass but Utah stuffs it perfectly, but BYU is bailed out with a helmet to helmet hit on third and 12 to give them an automatic first down on the Utah 43 yard line. That hurts. Backed up against the wall, Utah's defense holds and forces a BYU punt. Utah will have it on their own 10 yard line.


Time Remaining: 0:53 First Quarter
Score: BYU 3, (20) Utah 0

Utah again with poor field position as Shaky Smithson takes the kickoff out of the endzone and only makes it to the 12. Utah's offense does not look good. They manage one first down before yet again having to punt. BYU playing sound defense and not allowing the Utes to get anything. BYU with great field position on their own 35 yard line after the punt.

BYU commits the first turnover of the game - Jake Heaps threw a jump ball that is tipped by Brandon Burton and intercepted by freshman sensation safety Brian Blechen. Utah shows some life.


Time Remaining: 4:34 First Quarter
Score: BYU 3, (20) Utah 0

Jordan Wynn completes a pass to Shaky Smithson for a first down, but Utah is unable to get another first down on the next series and Utah is forced to punt. BYU is stifling Utah's running game.

BYU's no huddle offense wearing on the Utes, catching defenders out of position. BYU moves down to the Utah 26 yard line, where Mitch Payne connects on a 43 yard field goal to put BYU on the board first, 3-0. BYU's offense rolling early, while Utah hasn't had any consistency yet.


Time Remaining: 11:33 First Quarter
Score: (20) Utah 0, BYU 0

Utah looks fired up for this game. Utah's whole team just walked over to BYU warming up and shut them down - the refs had to get involved to avoid an all out brawl before this game even starts.

BYU won the coin toss and will defer to the second half, so Jordan Wynn and the Utah offense will get the first opportunity here in the 92nd edition of the Holy War.

Utah will start on offense on their own 22 yard line, and Jordan Wynn trips over his own feet on the first play for a loss of 9. Not the good start Utah was hoping for. Utah goes three and out and will have to punt. BYU will take over on their own 34 yard line following Joe Phillips' punt.

Jake Heaps and Co. are able to get one first down, but Utah's defense holds on the next series to force a punt. Utah will be pinned all the way back on their own 1 yard line following the great punt by Riley Stephenson.


Pregame Blog

A few weeks ago, the Utah and BYU football teams looked as though their seasons were headed in the opposite direction of where they stand now.

The Utes (9-2) will try to overcome a disappointing stretch that cost them a potential BCS bowl berth and BYU (6-5) will try to continue what seemed an unlikely turnaround when the teams meet today at Rice-Eccles Stadium for the 92nd edition of the Holy War.

Quarterback Comparison

Jordan WynnJake Heaps
TeamUTAHBYU
Comp/Att173/269172/313
Comp %64.355.0
Yds21351824
TD1610
Int97

The Mountain West Conference rivals will meet in the last game of the season for the final time in the Deseret Duel Rivalry Game. They have been in the same conference for 51 years - in the MWC since its 1999 inception, in the Western Athletic Conference for the previous 37 years and three years together in the Skyline Conference.

Next year, Utah will be heading to the Pac-12 while BYU will compete as an independent. The teams were headed in the opposite directions for much of this season as well.

No. 20 Utah started the season with eight consecutive wins and reached as high as No. 5 in the rankings before hosting No. 4 TCU (11-0) on Nov. 6 in one of the season's most anticipated games.

TCU drilled Utah 47-7 at Rice-Eccles Stadium to derail the Utes' chances for a BCS bowl game. The sting carried over the following week as they lost 28-3 at Notre Dame.

Looking at a potential third straight loss last week, the Utes rallied for a 38-34 win over San Diego State after trailing 27-10 in the second quarter. Utah secured its fourth consecutive nine-win season under coach Kyle Whittingham.

Game 12 Notes
No. 20 Utah (9-2, 6-1 MWC) vs.
Brigham Young (6-5, 5-2 MWC)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 27, 2010
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Site:Rice-Eccles Stadium (45,017/FieldTurf)
TV: The Mtn. (simlucast on CBS C)
Radio: KSL 102.7 FM/1160 AM; ESPN 700
Series Record: Utah leads 53-34-4
Last Meeting:2009 - BYU 26, Utah 23 OT
Kickoff Weather: Overcast; Temps: near 30
************************

BYU appeared headed to a lost season after a nationally televised loss Oct. 1 to Utah State dropped the Cougars to 1-4. However, they have responded to win four straight and five of their last six to become bowl eligible.

The Cougars are averaging 24.7 points per game and 172.8 rushing yards behind J.J. Di Luigi, Bryan Kariya and Joshua Quezada. They will try to move the ball against a Utah run defense that is ranked No. 10 in the FBS at 107.7 yards per game.

Utah has posted some lofty offensive numbers as well. Last week, sophomore quarterback Jordan Wynn led a revived offense that had been held to one touchdown the previous nine quarters. He threw for a career-high 362 yards and two touchdowns as the Utes amassed 500 yards of total offense.

Utah is No. 14 in the country in scoring offense at 37.3 points per game and averages 414.6 yards of total offense per game.

************************

Keys to the Game for Utah

  • Avoid the slow start - The Utes can't fall behind early like they have in their last three games (23-0 to TCU, 14-3 to Notre Dame and 20-3 to San Diego State). Utah needs to score early and build on the momentum from the 2nd half of the San Diego State game. Utah has been outscored 68 to 54 in the 1st quarter, while outscoring opponents 162 to 39 in the 2nd.
  • Blitz the freshman - Aside from a couple of last second miracles in recent years, Utah's defense has been able to shut down BYU's quarterback by blitzing more than any other team BYU has faced. With a freshman at the helm, look for Utah's defense to throw everything they have at him and force him to make quick decisions.

Keys to the Game for BYU via @GregWrubell

  • Run the ball - BYU boasts the nation's 39th-best rushing attack, averaging 173 yards per game; Utah's 163 rushing yards per contest rank 45th. Whether BYU can run the ball effectively against the Utes is the question, since Utah's rush defense ranks 10th nationally, allowing only 108 yards per game on the ground. BYU has run the ball for 200-plus yards in four straight games and six times this season; since 1972, the Cougars have a 93 percent win rate (102-8) when rushing for 200 yards or more.
  • Hang on to the ball - Despite having a true freshman QB at the helm, BYU has a positive turnover margin of plus-2, which ranks 43rd to Utah's 75th-ranked margin of minus-3. Rookie QB Jake Heaps and the Cougars have thrown only eight interceptions, compared to Utah's nine. BYU's ball security is integral to the Cougars' chances on Saturday. In the Bronco Mendenhall era, BYU is 40-5 when "even" or "plus" in the turnover margin. Furthermore, in Mendenhall's three wins over Utah, BYU is plus-1 in the takeaway/giveaway tally; in his two losses, the Cougars are minus-7.

MY PREDICTION: Utah 28, BYU 24. Let me know what you think. Email me your predictions/questions rojackson@ksl.com

Team Stat Comparison for 2010-2011 Season
![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/byu.png) Brigham Young ![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/utah.png) Utah Advantage
OFFENSIVE STATS
Points For (Per Game)24.73 37.27![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/utah.png)
Rushing Yards (Per Game)172.82 162.91 ![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/byu.png)
Passing Yards (Per Game)186.91 251.73 ![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/utah.png)
Total Yards (Per Game)359.73414.64![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/utah.png)
3rd Down Conversions (Season)46%46%
4th Down Conversions (Season)42%67% ![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/utah.png)
Time of Possession (Per Game)30:3729:54![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/byu.png)
Red Zone Scores (Season)88%87% ![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/byu.png)
DEFENSIVE STATS
Points Against (Per Game)21.8220.18 ![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/utah.png)
Rushing Defense (Per Game)156.82107.73![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/utah.png)
Passing Defense (Per Game)186.09214.36![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/byu.png)
Total Defense (Per Game)342.91322.09 ![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/utah.png)
3rd Down Defense % (Season)43%35%![](/images/team_logo/ncaa/utah.png)

**Last Year** The No. 21-ranked Utes lost a heartbreaker in overtime, 26-23 to No. 19 Brigham Young in Provo on Nov. 28. Trailing 20-6 after three quarters, Utah mounted a comeback that culminated with a 40-yard game-tying fi eld goal by Joe Phillips with 0:29 left in regulation. Phillips made two of his school-record five field goals in the fourth quarter, with the other score coming on a 1-yard touchdown run by Eddie Wide with a two-point conversion pass from Jordan Wynn to David Reed. Phillips would make a 29-yard field goal in overtime to put Utah up 23-20, before the Cougars scored a touchdown on a Ute defense that had been brilliant all day. Mike Wright (11 tackles, 1 TFL) and Stevenson Sylvester (8 tackles and an 11-yard sack) helped Utah hold BYU to 265 total yards, sacked Cougar QB Max Hall four times and pressured him into 12-of-32 passing for 134 yards. For the offense, Wide recorded his seventh 100-yard game of the season (114 yards).

Utah Miscellaneous Stats

  • 14 of the last 18 games between BYU and Utah have been decided by single digits, and 11 of the last 13 meetings have been won by seven points or fewer.
  • Eighteen seniors will play the last home game of their careers today. The seniors are a 41-9 record, the winningest class in school history, breaking the record of 40 victories set by last year's seniors.
  • Utah has qualified for postseason play for the eighth-straight season.
  • Utah is tied 14th in the nation with TCU in fourth down conversions, succeeding on 66.7% of its fourth down tries (10-of-15)
  • The Utes are tied for fifth in the country in sacks allowed (seven).
  • Utah ranks seventh in the nation in defensive three and outs, averaging 4.50 a game
  • Utah is fourth nationally in opponent fourth-down conversions (21.4%), ninth in opponent first downs (177) and 10th in rushing defense (107.7)
  • Opponents are averaging just 3.1 yards per rush and Utah has held six below 100 rushing yards: Pittsburgh (82), New Mexico (69), San Jose State (94), Wyoming (67), Colorado State (28) and San Diego State (59)
  • San Diego State was held to negative 1-yards rushing in the second half.

BYU Miscellaneous Stats

  • Jake Heaps has gone three consecutive games without throwing an interception. Last BYU QBs to do that: John Beck in '05, Brandon Doman in '01.
  • Last time BYU went four consecutive games without throwing in interception: Ty Detmer's senior year of 1991.
  • Harvey Unga played 12 games in 2009, accounted for 1,208 rushing/receiving yards. J.J. DiLuigi has played 11 games in '10: 1,215 rush/rec yards.
  • BYU and Utah will each depart the MWC with four conference titles in football and a combined 18 bowl appearances as Mountain West members — Utah with 10, and BYU with eight.

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Robert Jackson sports writer

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