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SALT LAKE CITY — It was another classic finish in the history of the BYU-Utah rivalry, even if not for great reasons.
In a game plagued by nine total turnovers, Utah held on for a 20-19 victory in a game marked more by defense and turnovers than offense and innovation, extending their streak to six-straight wins in the historic rivalry.
Taysom Hill gave BYU its first lead in the series in five years, rushing for a 39-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter to give the Cougars a 13-7 advantage.
But Tim Patrick turned the lead on its head with a stunning grab with 17 seconds left, hauling in a 21-yard strike from Troy Williams to give the Utes a 14-13 halftime lead.
Hill scored on a 7-yard rush in the final 30 seconds, but BYU elected to go for a two-point conversion and Utah held on for the win.
Here are a few thoughts from the Cougars’ sixth-straight loss in the storied rivalry.
Who wants a turnover?
The early game started out sloppy, though BYU forced six turnovers to Utah's 3 takeaways. The Utes returned BYU’s opening pass attempt 44 yards for a touchdown — but the Cougars returned serve by forcing a fumble on Troy Williams’ first pass attempt in the series.
Turnovers were a key just nine months ago when the two teams met in the Las Vegas Bowl, which Utah won 35-28. Kai Nacua’s recovery of Francis Bernard’s forced fumble was the first turnover to go BYU’s way in the series since 2011.
On Utah’s second offensive possession, Harvey Langi forced a fumble that Dayan Lake clamped up to earn another early possession on the Utah 37 in a turnover-plagued game for both teams.
“When you have guys who try hard and play, some guys take risks and I don’t believe in having someone play tight. Sometimes it worked out and others it didn’t," BYU coach Kalani Sitake said.
“I’m really proud of how they played. I just wish we had two more points.”
Nacua also had an interception to open the second quarter, but his return was brought back for an illegal block. But the BYU offense got less out of that drive, giving the ball back to the Utes on an interception.
BYU recovered four turnovers against the Utes, the most in a single game since 1991, a game the Cougars won 48-17.
Utah reversed the narrative in the second half, picking off Hill twice in the third quarter. Though the Utes only took a field goal from Andy Phillips out of it, they burned up enough of the clock to finish the game off — albeit with a few heart palpitations on BYU’s final drive.
“Our guys had a great response to the penalties and the issues, and I’m really proud of them for that," Sitake said. "I just felt like they know I have their backs.”
The difference is in the trenches
The Utes’ biggest difference was on the defensive line, where Utah boasts arguably the most talented front in the nation led by Lowell Lotulelei and Kylie Fitts. BYU’s offensive line struggled against the pressure of the four-man front all game, and it led to an anemic offense despite a strong defensive effort.
Utah held BYU to 57 total yards in the first quarter, including six on the ground, and limited the Cougars to 143 yards of rushing offense in the game. Running back Jamaal Williams was not available on the Cougars' final drive as he nursed an apparent leg injury suffered in the second half.
People still care about this game
After a year with no regular-season game and just nine months removed from the first postseason rivalry in both schools' history, Utah drew 46,915 fans to the standing-room-only Rice-Eccles Stadium. The crowd was the fifth largest in stadium history, proving there is still no lack of passion or fire from either fan base.
For the passion of the game, look no further than Kalani Sitake’s reaction to Nacua’s (controversial) targeting penalty. The former Utah assistant ran on to the field to scream at one official, earning a deserved unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Nacua’s ejection came after booth review showed the safety make a tackle with his shoulder — but the Pac-12 refs still upheld the original call made difficult in real time.
The Cougars turn their attention to next Saturday's home opener against UCLA, their third-straight opponent from the Pac 12 South.
