Now that the dust has settled from another thrilling, epic battle between BYU and Utah, it seems more apparent than ever that BYU should have won the game.
I'm not saying the Utes didn't deserve to win -- they did. They made more plays in the critical moments than the Cougars did, and that was the difference. But BYU should have never been in a situation where one play decided the game.
First of all, the BYU defense was dominant. Whether it was Jordan Wynn or Terrance Cain behind center, the Utes offense could barely move the ball across midfield through the first three quarters. That's why Bronco Mendenhall's decision to go for it on 4th and 1 in the 2nd quarter instead of kicking a field goal is so baffling. A 9-0 lead would have been huge at that point in the game. Instead, Jake Heaps' pass fell incomplete and the Utes were still within one touchdown. The play call was just as head-scratching. Why not pound the ball up the middle when you needed less than a yard? Mendenhall will no doubt regret that decision for a long time.
Then in the 4th quarter, up 13-0, BYU completely self-destructed. A botched handoff between Heaps and Josh Quezada resulted in Utah's first touchdown of the game, a spectacular catch by Devonte Christopher.
A punt that inadvertently hit B.J. Peterson helped result in the Utes second touchdown. But not before Brandon Bradley fumbled an interception that will go down with Luke Staley's "non-fumble" back in 2001 as one of the most controversial calls in rivalry history. Bradley sure appeared to have a knee down before Kendrick Moeai ripped it away. But even with that call, BYU was still in position to win.
The most baffling thing BYU did occurred at the very end of the game. With Jake Heaps moving the ball effectively downfield with 10-15 yard out patterns, offensive coordinator Robert Anae suddenly decided a 40-45 yard field goal attempt was good enough. Why not let Heaps take a couple more shots down field to set up a chip shot field goal? The Cougars still had one timeout in their pocket and the Utes defense was on its heels. Heaps was 4-for-4 on that drive and could have easily gotten 10-15 more yards.
Instead, BYU went from attack mode to conservative mode and ran the clock down to the final seconds. Mitch Payne trotted out for a 42-yard field goal, and the rest is history. Brandon Burton flew in from the corner to block the kick as time expired, preserving a 17-16 victory for the Utes.
It was a truly exciting game to watch, and Utah earned that victory with a never-say-die attitude in the 4th quarter. But there is no doubt in my mind that BYU could have and should have won had the Cougars coaches and players not fallen apart in the deciding minutes.
